Perishable Wings
by Ou-Rex
Summary: The decay and ruin, applies to anything that lives, and to live is defined by the ability to change according to our environment... does that make me dead?
1. I Passed!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Rosario + Vampire, my plot Gerbils have variably stabbed my brain so I could write this. **

(A/N: This fic was requested a long time ago by nfsuc-09, and was doubly requested by Knight-Bishop. Please be aware this is rated M for a reason, you know by now my position on Lemons, I do not write em, but there is still some suggestive content.)

**Perishable Wings**

**Chapter I: I Passed!**

"I passed! Yatta!" Were the first words that came out of his mouth when he looked to his grade percentile at the end of exams.

Aono Tsukune (15) was a boy of average C-grade level. He had little to no hopes of passing middle school, but by some miracle, short of the hand of Kami himself, Aono Tsukune passed the middle school finals by the skin of his teeth. He just made it above the margin and would be going to high school. His parents would be thrilled.

That night when he returned home his mother had nearly fainted from shock in the arms of her husband. "Iya Outosan, I'm so happy!" Tsukune's mother cooed as her husband laughed heartily and held her in his embrace. His father's faces hovered inches over his mother's as their lips threatened to touch.

Tsukune was bit put off by their affections, not that he was disgusted by the display because it meant his parents were still in love, but it was still not something you wanted to see your parents do _in front _of you.

"A-ano, outosan, okaasan. I'm glad you're so happy, but it will be another week until I get the certificate, and I still have to find out what school I'm going to." He interrupted their outburst of emotions.

His mother stood up straight and looked to her husband with worried eyes. "Tsukune is right outosan, what are we going to do? We only have a week!" His mother was always like that. She always wanted things planned and perfect.

"Don't worry kaasan! I have it all under control!" Tsukune chuckled as his father's exaggerated expression. It was just like him to 'have everything under control', but then really not. The boy could swear that without his mother his father wouldn't be able to knot his tie correctly and get out to work on time every day. It was obvious she kept the home running like clockwork.

Tsukune's mother crossed her arms over her chest; her apron was still wrapped tightly around her body as she was just preparing dinner. Tsukune was sure she was onto his father's lack of control. She snapped up her finger, making both males jump, as she pouted her lip and half-heartedly glared at her husband.

"I do not want to hear that! This is important! This is Tsukune's future!" His father could only laugh nervously and motion his hands in his defense.

"Wakarimashita!" His father could only assure his understanding of the situation. Tsukune couldn't help the laugh that left him.

Later that night the small family sat down to dinner to discuss the schools Tsukune could join with his grade average. There was one school he had his eye on that had dorms and was a walk from a popular coastal beach that he had visited once with his family during a vacation. It was a beautiful area that was half between the city and nature. The cliff sheers dropped down to the beach, a natural path was cut into the limestone that led down to the sandy coast. Not many knew about the scenic beach as there were many more popular places to visit in the area, so it was never very crowded. There was a lot of developmental work being done there recently though, so a lot of the wild areas were being cut down for more city landscape. The small wooded area to the east of the beach had already been mowed down for the new site of a shopping mall. The mall would bring more business and more people, but that would also bring more garbage to the area. Many fought to protect the woods and parks that littered the coast, but much of the land qas quickly being bought out.

A lot of Tsukune's friends decided on going to the same high school together, but Tsukune wanted a chance to experience that truly beautiful place while he still could. It held bits of his memory, especially the sunflower fields it was renowned for. He didn't want to let go of those memories. His mother didn't seem to mind his decision; she was still clouded with satisfaction that her son passed his middle school exams. His father was on his third beer, also quite buzzed with pride. Tsukune felt good about having passed, because it made his parents happy.

He went to bed after a nice hot bath and settled into his futon. He finished drying off his hair and tossed his towel into the hamper. He sighed deeply at the content feeling in his chest as he laid his head on his pillow. From the corner of his eye he could see his curtains rustling against the gentle breeze. In the sky he could see the faint sparkles of the stars above the dim streetlights and the full moon that illuminated the partially clouded skies. He wondered if the stars were truly brighter in nature. With that thought he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Far off, at the edge of a cliff which faced out to a beach sat a young woman. She appeared to be no older than seventeen. She had long black hair that ran down to the end of her back. She had two ponytails tied off on the sides of her head with dark, pink ribbon. She wore a light pink corset over her chest and had a black skirt which ran down to her feet. On her shoulder sat a large, beady-eyed raven. He loudly cawed out as the sounds of the waves broke against the coast in a soothing rhythm that mimicked the beat of a heart. The bone-white sand glittered against the moonlight that made the empty coast look almost like the soft light of day.

The white foam of the sea collected at the mouth of the gulf, before fading away into a distant memory, back out to sea to make the trip again. The ocean rolled to the kiss of the chilly evening winds, the surface appearing like a satin sheet brushing against one's naked flesh.

The woman held her hands crossed in front of her, clasping a large sunflower, as she listened to the sounds of the night. She closed her eyes and allowed her breath to be carried on the ocean breeze.

"Ruby?"

A fragile sounding voice called. The young woman turned around to see the hooded figure of her mistress. The weak-bodied old woman supported herself against a large wooden staff that dug into the high grasses. She had long, grey hair that curled against her face and a warm, afghan robe around her body. She wore a black hood to shield her body from the evening winds, but it did little to fight back the cough forced out when she too deeply inhaled the frozen air.

Ruby, the black-haired woman, dropped the sunflower to the ground and rushed to the elder's side. The raven quickly descended from his master's shoulder and landed on the ground, by her feet. Ruby held the shoulders of the old woman, steadying her as she coughed.

"Master, what are you doing out here?" The apprentice questioned in worry. Though her Mistress was strong, she was still old and could not suffer the cold airs as she once did.

The old woman chuckled and motioned her hand to cast away the young woman's worries. "I'm fine." The old woman laughed out.

Ruby did not take her words to heart and gripped the elder's arm, helping her back to their home. The large raven hopped along the ground after them. The three walked through the tall grasses toward a large flower field. It was a massive Sunflower field that ran out for kilometers on end. The gentle breeze that rolled along the high-ground tumbled through the heads of the flowers, down toward the coast. For a time the three walked, slowly, until they reached a large manor hidden among vines and shelter of the tall flowers.

The manor was old and worn down, but still very sturdy. It was a Western style manor that sat among the flowers, twisted in the vines and leaves of the soil around it. Perched on the wooden banisters of the white-washed porch were a few ravens and crows, though much smaller compared to the larger Raven that followed Ruby and her Mistress up the rickety steps of the manor house. Ruby took care to take one step at a time until she was able to settle the old woman on the rocking chair that sat on the porch. The raven following them hopped each step with learned skill. The bright-eyed bird tilted its head, looking up as its master tended to the old woman.

The Mistress chuckled and looked up to Ruby, taking the young woman's hands into hers as she pulled away. "You worry too much about me Ruby." The old woman coughed. "You already have so much to worry about with the flowers." The woman leaned her staff against the wall of their home.

Ruby knelt down, being careful of her skirt. She gripped her master's hands and smiled warmly. Her lavender eyes looked into the storm-gray eyes of the woman who was like a second mother to her.

"You are just as important to me as this flower field master." The ebony-haired woman admitted. This sentiment caused the old woman to smile. She lifted her hand to brush Ruby's cheeks.

"These selfish humans will never understand our pain, or nature." The old woman proclaimed. "Witches to them are nothing more than fairy tales now, but to protect our home we must make them fear and respect our power, because if we do not protect nature, who will?" The elder explained with conviction settling in her winkled features.

"I know master, I will do everything in my power to protect our home." Ruby took the old woman's warm hand into hers and kissed it. "Now rest. I need to tend to the birds than I will escort you back inside so we may sleep."

The young witch stood to her feet and brushed down her skirt. The larger raven jumped up and flapped its wings quickly, before settling on Ruby's shoulder. The young witch smiled and picked up her staff which was settled against the opposite banister of the porch. The flock of ravens and crows understood the motion and flew from their perches to where the witch would come to feed them.

The ravens and crows were Familiars for the two witches and took care to watch their territory where they could not and assist them in their magicks from time to time.

The old woman watched as Ruby walked into the forest of flowers. The aged witch chuckled and closed her eyes as she rocked in her chair: the cadenced creaking of the wooden seat soothing her old heart to rest until her ward returned from her duties.


	2. The Neighborhood

**Chapter II: The Neighborhood**

The young witch made her way through the tall grasses of the wild flower field as she made her way to the back of the manor house in her master's care. There was a naturally open, flowerless patch of grass in the very back of the manor where the ravens and crows often gathered for feeding. The birds cawed and flapped their wings in anticipation as they treaded their talons against the lower set grasses and loose top soil of the feeding area. The larger raven that accompanied the young, onyx haired female perched itself on a twisted wire fencing that sat curled against the framework of the house. Hanging from the wire frames were various gardening took Ruby often used to tend to the flora.

The witch reached up to the wire fencing and carefully picked up a rusty looking sickle she often used for weeding. The red-copper rust flaked off easily as she disturbed the settled tool from its place. She settled her large staff against the fencing, jostling it a bit. The raven simple strafed along the screen to keep his balance as he watched his master pull open two white-wash cellar doors which were heavily peeling from weathering. The salt-laden air that carried from the coast did a number on the old wooden structure but Ruby was always the one to keep on top of the chores which kept the structures standing.

The clicking of her heeled boots against the wooden steps echoed as she descended into the darkness.

"Satoru." Ruby called as she paused in her walking and glanced up to the large raven on the fencing.

The bird called out and jumped from his perch, and flew over to a small paper lantern that hung at the edge of the porch. Satoru scooped the wire handle into his curved beak and landed on the ground, where he proceeded to toddle toward Ruby. The dim light easily illuminated the stuffy cellar room. The large raven hopped down the steps, following his master into the darkness. The other crows and ravens shuffled closer, and occasionally pecked at one another in dominating anticipation. They would set the feeding order quickly so they could set right to eating.

Satoru tilted his head and waddled toward the lopsided wooden shelves that carried jars of preserves. He was obviously interested in this more than the feed Ruby was gathering for the others. The witch giggled at this as she pulled open a large freezer.

"Silly bird, preferring fruits over protein." She mused as she hooked the sickle into the flesh of the semi-frozen carcass that would feed the flock.

Satoru hopped toward Ruby when he heard the sound of her voice. The witch grunted in effort as she shifted against the larger remains. Satoru looked up toward the witch, his dim light shining on her activities.

"Arigato Satoru." She murmured as it was now easier to see. She really hated getting any of it on her clothing; it would take days to wash out.

The dim light revealed the limp, semi-detached arm that had been giving her the trouble. "I really forced this one too roughly into that small space." She mumbled as she carefully grabbed the frozen wrist and settled it onto the chest of the body.

Upon further inspection the body was revealed to only be a human torso, the lower extremities missing, obviously torn off by some fantastic measure of force. It was a male's body; his clothing was shredded and loosely hung from his frozen corpse. All down his neck were remnants of his muscle: his skin having been torn off in some sort of struggle. Ruby had hooked the sickle into the other side of his neck; the tip of the curved blade had pushed out through his cricoids cartilage that sat just above the jugular notch in the middle of the throat.

As Ruby dragged the body, some of the still frozen intestines pulled from what was left of his midsection. It was obvious there were torn and disjointed at some sections where it once connected to the lower half of his body. Satoru merely followed, clearly used to the more than daily activity. The witch finally trudged the defrosting corpse into the midnight air. With a trained motion she curled her wrist back, and cleanly pulled the hook from the corpses neck, where it than hit against the flat ground with a muted thump.

The flock of birds quickly encircled the corpse where they ravenously pecked and ripped into flesh with their carrion carving beaks. Satoru flew onto Ruby's shoulder. The young witch took the lantern from his beak and gently brushed at the bird's head. He rustled his feathers at the contact and cawed loudly, demanding his meal. He did not feed with the rest of the flock as he belonged solely to Ruby. Ruby laughed softly as she turned back to the manor entrance. She returned the sickle to its proper place, as well as the lantern before climbing the porch.

Satoru settled, once again, on the ground as Ruby helped her mistress to her feet and pushed open the screen doors and helped the old woman into the dimly lit shelter. After Ruby put the old woman to bed, she gave Satoru his meal, which often consisted of cut up chicken and fruits. Afterwards the witch climbed the steps to her room, followed by a full-bellied raven. She finally settled in for the night, content to dream about the wild opens of nature she longed to see cover the earth again.

*~~~~~*

Tsukune had woken up early the next day. He was going to ride his bike to the train station and head up to the new high school to check it out. It would give him an opportunity to familiarize himself with the area anew. His mother gave him some money for the train, and anything he wanted to pick up while he was there. She also made him a bento for the trip. His father had already gotten to work so the boy would be on his own for the day. After bidding his mother farewell Tsukune mounted his bike and rode off for the train station.

It was a little passed eight in the morning. Tsukune had been waiting on the platform for about five minutes before the train finally arrived. He felt rather excited about the trip. It had been so long sicne he's been to the coastal area. He remembered as if it were yesterday, how he and his cousin Kyouko would play together in the sand and build castles while their fathers grilled lunch in the open air.

It was a nice memory, but before Tsukune knew it the train had arrived at its destination. Tsukune and a number of other passengers pooled from the metal car onto the platform. The young man was in awe of how much the station had changed. Not too long ago was it an old wooden station that overlooked a field of wildflowers. The wooden platform was now replaced with concrete slabs and was bustling with people. The wildflower field: gone. In its place was a strip of plaza which many of the passengers headed for after their long ride. No longer did a dirt road stretch out toward the once large town. A black, asphalt road cut through the now treeless expanse of land into an ever growing city teaming with endless flows of people, going about their daily lives. Tsukune let out a sigh and looked to the map he held messily folded in his hand. It was going take him a long time to find his way around, everything had changed so much.

*~~~~~~*

"I'm not sure about this Shiro. They say this place is cursed." A young woman dressed in hiking gear spoke out in worry as she pushed through the sways of sunflowers.

The young man, accompanying the woman, turned to face her. "Come on do you really believe those stories?" He laughed as he cut down some of the sunflowers with a hunting knife he had on hand so he could climb through the tangled vines and leaves.

The woman swallowed hard as she looked around nervously. She felt as if she was being watched.

"Don't you have any idea who lives here?" She whispered out, looking up to the clear, cloudless skies. "They say witches live on this hill and kidnap anyone that sneaks too close to their territory." She explained.

The young man scoffed and turned to face her.

"Come on Ai, those are just rumors. People get lost all the time camping. There's no such things as witc—ahh!" The young man shouted when he fell forward.

His sudden reaction frightened the young woman, causing her the scream out. "Shiro!!" She screamed, running to his side. The man groaned and sat himself up.

"I'm okay, my leg got tangled in the growth." He muttered angrily as he sat up.

He looked over to his ankle, and sure enough it was twisted in the overgrown vegetation. He hissed in pain when he tried to move his leg, soon realizing he was bleeding. Some of the sharper growths nicked him.

"Here, let me get the antiseptic!" Ai cried out, holding her hand against his shin to prevent him from moving.

Though somewhat against her tending to the insignificant wound, he sighed and nodded, knowing she would only panic if he did not allow her to treat it. She removed the backpack from her shoulders and settled it in the grass.

A soft shuffling sound is her rustle among the tall grass. Shiro looks up and glances back at Ai, who clearly did not notice the sound. She was frantically digging through her supplies, looking for the first aid kit.

"Ai, why did you pack it so deep?" He asked with slight annoyance to her airheaded tendencies. Had it been a real emergency they would have been in serious trouble. Ai profusely apologized as she continued to search her bag, sure she had packed it before they left.

Again, the grass shuffled. A wet nose came upon the pruned heads of the sunflowers that Shiro had only moments before hacked down with his knife.

"Shiro I—" Ai's voice caught in her throat when she looked up to Shiro, only now noticing the shuffling grass. She began to tremble as the tall blades were pushed aside. Shiro gripped his knife tightly, easily able to see the glowing eyes shining through the thicket.

A large raccoon-dog stepped from the grass, holding some of the sunflowers in his muzzle. Shiro and Ai let out a sigh.

"Keh, it's just a tanuki." He shot a glare toward the oblivious animal. "Get out of here!" Shiro shouted, throwing his knife at it, grazing the poor mammal with the blade.

"Shiro! That was cruel!" Ai bit out, smacking the back of the man's head.

"Tch, it scared me half to death." He hissed out when he felt the cold and burning antiseptic hit his open cut. "You and your rumors." He added.

After Ai bandaged Shiro they made their way out of the sunflower field, toward the beach. The two made it to the edge of the cliff and stood there for a time.

"Sa…it took a while, but it was worth the view!" Shiro laughed, stretching his arms out over his head.

The young man looked to the woman, who had been rather quiet since they started walking again. He dropped his arms to the side when he noticed her forlorn expression.

"Aw, Ai come on, you're not still mad about the stupid raccoon-dog are you? He'll live! It was just a cut!" He defended. Ai locked eyes with Shiro.

The man shouted and jumped when he looked into his friends eyes. She had no eyes! Her sockets were empty!

"Shiro? What's wrong?" Ai asked, tilting her head slightly.

"B-bakemono!" Shiro shouted. He swatted Ai's hand away when she extended it toward him.

"Shiro! What's wrong?!" Ai asked as her face and arms began to melt.

Shiro screamed and tried to jump back away from her but he was right at the cliff's edge, and slipped.

"Shiro look out!" Ai yelled and threw out her hand to reach for him as he fell but a large raven shrieked out from behind Ai and loudly flapped its wings, startling her.

She fell forward, against Shiro's body, but he pushed her away. The woman's eyes widened at the rejection as she was pushed against the cliff as they fell. She hit her head against the jagged rock ledges before falling, impaled, on a outcropped root. Although in tremendous pain, Ai was still alive and watched as Shiro fell to the sands below, and broke his neck on contact.

The tanuki from earlier sat at the edge of the sunflower field, he looked over to the raven as he stood at the edge of the cliff, wings spread out threateningly. The raven's eyes flickered as he turned to face the tanuki. The raccoon-dog bounded fearfully into the tall field of flora.

"Shiro…" Ai coughed up blood as she struggled to pull herself free. She could still hear the raven calling above her.

When she looked up to the menacing bird that caused her to fall forward she gasped out in horror. Standing at the edge of the cliff was a young woman with long black hair that danced against the winds which raced along the high cliffs.

"All trespassers die." The witch spoke coldly as the shock of being impaled caught up to the young woman.

Ai slowly bled out, and could only mutely watch Shiro lay motionlessly in the sand. His neck was twisted awkwardly and his face held clear horror. Why was he afraid of her? Those were her last thoughts before she could no longer feel pain, and fell asleep for the last time.


	3. Lost

**Chapter III: Lost**

It waste and Tsukune soon found himself near a road that lead to an official hiking trail. The young man had been wandering around the city, lost for hours. It did not seem anyone could help him find the place he needed or they would give him directions that led him to a completely unrelated area. It was half past five and it was getting late. The sun had gone down quickly, being that it was mid-autumn. Tsukune shuddered feeling a light chill brush past his body. He quickly zipped up his jacket and stood for a while at the off-road path. There were a few campers and various people who appeared to be workers going through the trail. It would not surprise the young man if these workers were some of the environmentalists that fought to protect the wooded areas and flower fields, keeping them ever-wild. He was not much of a person like that, if he was honest. He liked nature well enough, he was raised in a traditional Shinto household where they were respectful in the ways they used their resources, but he would not say he could stand being around so many people who merely seemed to complain all the time about not taking care of nature. It was not that hard to pick up a piece of trash and throw it away when you saw it.

People who called themselves environmentalists honestly seemed just as bad as everyone else. A bunch of hypocrites who drives in roves across town protesting about things society cannot change in one night. He was kind of interested in seeing the trails though. It has been so long since he's walked down them. He could remember every bit of the path he and his family would hike through during their vacations here, but he was worried. Though part of him wished to check and see if the trails had also changed, he was a bit scared of the stories going around town.

"They call it the Witch's Hill. A witch lives deep in the flower fields and controls the animals in the woods to kidnap you." He had heard people spreading rumors of the incident.

He tried to quell his mind. There were no such things as witches for one, and it was normal that inexperienced hikers and campers would get lost, as unfortunate as it was. He was not some inexperienced camper though. His family still took trips to places like this and would often stay overnight. He understood the basics of survival. Tsukune looked to his watch. It was getting late. He would miss the last train to his area if he stayed too long. The young man turned to walk back onto the road. He noticed a group of people standing on the sidewalk talking. A young girl, holding a ferret in her arms sat on the ground petting the tamed weasel.

The black-footed ferret had a pink harness and its leash loosely sat in the girl's hand. She had a small ball that would chime with the sound of a cat's bell when she shook it.

"Did you hear that they found two bodies at the cliffs, dead?" One of the women murmured in horror.

Tsukune paused and stood at the edge of the sidewalk, looking across the busy streets. He swallowed nervously.

"They were so young. I heard they were off the trail just outside of the sunflower fields." One of the men spoke up.

The young girl took hold of her pet's leash and stood to her feet as the black-footed weasel rolled around with its bell-ball. Her mother looked back at her making sure she did not get too close to the street, but the young girl knowledgeably stayed near the fencing by the trail.

"One looks like he fell off the cliff and broke his neck, the other didn't even make it to the bottom." The second woman commented with a shiver.

"They need to put fencing around that cliff, it's far too dangerous." The other man spoke up.

"Lil, don't slip." The girl's mother called.

"Hai!" Lil responded as she picked up the long, wiggling body of her pet and stepped away from the trail.

Tsukune was about to step into the street, he glance back for a moment when he heard a crow's cry. He looked back and saw the beautiful black bird perched on the trail fence.

"Hey!!" A heavy voice called.

Before Tsukune could realize what was happening he felt a strange hand forcefully pull the hood of his jacket and pull him out of the street, back onto the sidewalk. The young man groaned and opened his eyes. He could hear a blaring horn as the momentary fuzz cleared from in between his ears. A truck raced down the street, seconds after Tsukune was pulled back. The black-haired young man startled up and shuffled back. He could hear the concerned calls of the women in the group not too far from where he stood, calling out for his attention.

"Oy, shounen, you okay?" One of the men from the group had seen Tsukune crossing before the light had changed, his attention elsewhere. The man had quickly acted and pulled Tsukune out of harm's way.

Tsukune quickly glanced back to where the crow had been perched than to the older male that had quite literally just saved his life.

"A-arigatou anisan." Tsukune could feel his heart racing in his chest as the older man helped him to his feet.

"You need to watch where you're going, nearly gave us a heart attack." He chuckled, patting Tsukune on the back.

Tsukune laughed out nervously, feeling a little shaky from the incident. He wanted to faint but he held strong. After thanking the man again for his assistance Tsukune decided that it was best not to cross the street in the middle after that so he made his way down the street toward the nearest crosswalk. He stayed close to the trail fence, not wanting to get too close to the road. They drove pretty recklessly down here; it would be only a matter of time until someone was hit.

"Abunai!" A voice called, causing many heads to turn to a loud, roaring sound, tearing through the streets.

Car horns blared and people screamed as the smell of burning leather and screeching brakes engulfed the night air. It felt like time had slowed. Tsukune turned his head to see a young woman wearing a black, hooded robe on the edge of the street. She had been feeding a flock of black-feathered birds nearby, scattering crumbs along the ground. One of the cars jumped the sidewalk in a desperate attempt to avoid rear-ending another vehicle in a sudden stop.

The girl looked up, clearly frozen in fear and indecision. Tsukune felt his legs moving of their own accord. He pushed off running as a burst of adrenaline ripped through his veins. His mind screamed to return the favor. He had been saved but moments before, he had to do something, anything!

"Please, no, look out!" Tsukune was not sure whether he has spoken aloud or if his lungs simply used the air up shout out as he jumped off the ground, forcing all his strength to tackle the woman into the ground, out of the way of the speeding vehicle.

The young woman gasped and widened her eyes in shock when the young man saved her, scooping her whole body into his arms. Tsukune cried out in pain and tucked his head against her chest as he pulled her flush against his body. The car had scraped against his leg, pulling a terrible gash along the side. Tsukune could not feel the pain as his body was still high on the endorphins rushing into his bloodstream. He felt as if he was falling. His hand instinctively went to pull the woman's head against his body as he landed.

"Hold on!" She felt him whisper as their bodies hit the concrete ground at a bone-cracking force.

The car continued forward and slammed into the wooden fencing that barred off the sidewalk and hiking trail. Tsukune and the woman fell over the now non-existent barrier and rolled into the trail. Debris from the vehicle flew into the air. The car's hubcap whirled through the air and slashed across Tsukune's back, forcing him to reflexively pull the girl tighter into his embrace.

Sirens quickly filled the air as police vehicles and ambulances rushed to the scene. Tsukune had fallen far off into the trail, debris surrounding his body. The woman pushed to sit up. Now that his adrenaline had burned out Tsukune could feel the agonizing pain of his wounds. The young woman pulled back her hood, revealing her long onyx hair. She felt her entire body shivering in fear as she looked up the incline at the car embedded against the unstable wooden fencing.

Horrible memories returned to the young woman of when her parents had died in a similar car accident. A drunk driver had jumped the sidewalk. Her parents had pushed her to the side, shielding her with their own bodies. She looked to her hand, recalling how she was covered in their blood in the aftermath.

She felt a scream lodge in her throat when she realized the young man's blood was all over her hands as well.

"No." She choked out in a broken whisper.

He groaned in pain as she pushed to her feet. She quickly undid her robe and cloak and pulled it over the boy's injured body.

"Is anyone down there?! Are you alright?!" An officer called down the trail while he flashed a light into the thickets of woodland.

The ebony-haired woman was unsure of what to do. She could not stay with all these humans flocking around her, but her conscience would not allow her to leave the boy to die like her parents did. Those humans could not save their lives, so what lead her to believe they could save his life now?

When the light flashed in her and Tsukune's direction a flock of ravens flew passed the light, startling the officers who were just climbing down the incline.

"Is anyone down there?" A medic called from the edge of the fence.

The crowd of people gathering could be heard chatting, trying to figure out who saw what had happened. The officer looked around, carefully shining his light along the ground. He saw a trail of blood leading into the cursed forests that were believed to hold demonic animals.

"I see a trail of blood down here. Call the dog-unit! We might have someone injured and moving down here!" The officer called as he climbed back onto the edge.

*~~~~~~~*

"Satoru!" Ruby called as she carried the unconscious young man on her back, through the dark woods.

Flapping of wings could be heard echoing across the thickets. The large raven flew from the treetops and soared over his master, following her down a twist of off-trail markings familiar to the young witch.

"Hurry! He's hurt!" She called up to the black-feathered Familiar.

The raven called out and hurried ahead, toward where the forest met flower field. The bird glided along the winds that carried over the sunflowers, toward the manor they called home. The bird landed on the roofing of the second floor and hopped into Ruby's opened window.

The witch did not think twice about her Master's presence, the old woman would be asleep now so she would only have Satoru's help in this matter. The young man was heavy, dead weight on her shoulders, but she had to persevere. She could not watch another die.

The witch carried the young man up to her room. It was a difficult task that left he exhausted but when she entered the threshold of her chamber it was only a short walk to her bed.

Ruby's room was covered in flower-print wallpaper that has dulled over the years. The pristine white of the wallpaper has faded into a dirty gray coloration. On her vanity sat various bottles of potions made from herbs collected from the forest, after all she was a witch's apprentice so would practice such basic methodologies of holistic medicine. It was a mostly Western style room. Her large western-style bed was a heavy, dark colored maple canopy bed. A heavy hand-sewn quilt covered the large queen-sized bed, as various throw pillows lay against the headboard.

Perched on the footboard was Satoru. In his curved beak he held a white tin with a red cross in the center of it. Ruby worked quickly and ripped the boy's shirt from his chest. She rushed to her bathroom and filled a tin basin with hot water. Grabbing a cloth from the linen closet Ruby rushed over to her bed where the boy lay sprawled out on. Her heart raced as her spirit fought to save the young man. All the while her mind was flooded with the memories of her parents. Her eyes strained to see through her tears as she cleaned off the boy's wounds and with Satoru's assistance, bandaged them.

When she had finished she could hear as the boy's breathing became shallow with rest. As she calmed down she slowly began to realize the horrible mistake she had made. She was too overwhelmed with her emotions to discern the err of her ways. She had saved the human boy from death, even though her master cursed these creatures to such fates. She looked to Satoru who titled his head curiously, his eyes full of thought and question.

"What am I going to do Satoru? I cannot simply kill him after I saved him…" The witch was at a loss.

This young man had saved her life, and in turn she wanted to spare his. He had selflessly thrown away his safety for hers, something she had never before seen a human do. She was still convinced humans were selfish creatures, but this individual had shown otherwise. She sat on the edge of her bed and watched as he slept.

Should she kill him now, or ask her master what to do? As Ruby pondered this quandary she searched boy's pockets for evidence of who he was. She had found his wallet and opened it up.

"Aono Tsukune." She read aloud as she continued to trifle through his pockets.

Suddenly she heard her master call.

"Ruby!!" She sounded disoriented, which meant she had just gotten up. Perhaps she had another vision?

Ruby panicked. Had she seen her save the human? Would she be punished for her brass actions?

"Ruby!" The old woman called with more vigor.

"Satoru, watch him and don't let him leave!" The witch ordered the Familiar as she stood to her feet. "Coming master!" The onyx haired female rushed out of the room.


	4. A Nightmare Dancing in My Dreams

**Chapter IV: A Nightmare Dancing in My Dreams**

Ruby's door closed with a soft click as the witch's steps slowly faded and disappeared down the hall. She was a bit nervous and still dirtied from her encounter. She had been so busy cleaning up Tsukune's wounds, that she had not inspected the cuts and bruises she had received from the fall, nor had she taken the time to fix her disheveled hair. The witch was soon in front of her master's bedroom which occupied the end of the second floor hall, across the steps which lead down to the center of the manor's foyer. Ruby softly knocked against the peeling, wooden door of her master's chambers before stepping into the room.

"Omachidoo sama." Ruby called softly into the candle lit room.

In the center of the room sat a large oriental rug. On top of the rug was an old rocking chair, facing the ash covered stone of the dimly lit fire place. The logs feeding the fire were hoary in color and sparkled with the embers of the weakened flames. The hearth normally kept the cold room warm, but Ruby felt the chilling air as is carried out of the room passed her when she had opened the door.

A large wax candle sat on a small side table beside her master's canopy bed. The shadows around the table danced with the flickering candle as it was forced against the cold air blowing through the dark room. The white shroud that hung around the bed had been drawn for the evening and the sounds of crickets filtered in through the opened window, creating an opus that filled the evening air as it mixed with the howling coastal winds cut across the fields of flowers. Ruby sighed and walked over to the window. She really disliked it when her master would leave her window open. It filled the room with a ill-feeling cold that would affect the elderly with. Ruby closed it, keeping sure not to make a startling sound. The onyx-haired woman caught herself staring worriedly across the ownerless property.

"Ruby." Her master's sleep heavy voice rang from the bed.

Ruby turned to face the elderly woman, whose face was hidden behind the veil of the canopy bed. The old woman was visibly sat up against the headboard, pillows supporting her back.

*~~~~~~*

Tsukune groaned painfully as his back pressed into the soft plush of the bed's quilts. Even though the quilting was soft, the wound running down his back made lying on his backside uncomfortable. The young man rolled onto his side, his face burying into the soft, lavender scented pillows. He sighed, inhaling the unfamiliar scent. His eyes flutter open, only to find that he is surrounded by the soft, colored fabric of a foreign bed.

Satoru cawed softly, startling the young man into a sitting position. Tsukune shuffled back against the pillow-lined headboard. The beady-eyed bird stared into the young man's chocolate-brown eyes.

Tsukune looked around his alien surroundings with slight panic rushing into his chest as he tried to recall the events of earlier that caused his fainting. It was clear he was in someone else's home, and by the looks of the Western furniture and aged, peeling wallpaper he was in a rather old home owned by gaijin. He stood from the bed and being careful to stay away from the dangerous looking bird, he walked over to the curtainless window. Satoru watched the young man as it sat perched on the footboard of his master's bed.

To his surprise he could see the wide-open sunflower field. It was amazing. He had never seen them from such a view. The tops of the golden flowers glowed against the white moonlight and swayed gently against the wind. He could hear the sound of the coast in the distance as it broke against shore. It all seemed too surreal. He looked to his hand when he felt the pressure of the bandages against his skin. He shifted his torso a bit realizing that his injuries on his back had also been tended to.

Satarou hopped onto the dresser that sat beside the window. The large bird's actions spooked Tsukune and he stepped back, holding his hand up defensively. Satoru merely tilted its head and cawed softly. Tsukune chuckled nervously and examined the bird.

"Y-you're not going to b-bite are you?" The dark-haired man questioned as he carefully reached out his hand.

He was honestly curious about the bird's presence, it had to have obviously been someone's pet. It could not truly be living in this house alone; his tended injuries were proof enough. Foreigners did keep strange pets, he argued with himself. The large Raven allowed the young man to brush his feathered head. Tsukune remembered that he had saved that girl from being hit, so had he been injured and blacked out from the force he had slammed into the ground? He recalled the feeling of falling before everything had gone black. In turn for saving the girl's it seems she tended to his injuries.

*~~~~~*

Ruby fell to her knees when her master slapped her across the face with considerable force. The sheer shock had sent the younger witch to her knees, panting in short gasps. The onyx-haired witch held her hand to her reddened cheek and looked up to the older woman who was glaring down at her.

"How dare you." The elder witch bit out as she pulled the covers from her legs and stood from the bed.

Ruby shivered and shuffled back, the rub pulling against the fabric of her skirt. Tears beaded at the edges of the young woman's dark lavender eyes as she looked away, unable to stop her trembling. Her cool hand felt warm against the abused cheek, but that feeling was burned away by the foreboding presence of her master who now stood towering over the grounded witch.

"To bring a filthy creature like that into my home… what could have possessed you to do such a thing Ruby?" Her master knelt down and stroked Ruby's head but violently gripped a handful of the young witch's hair causing her to cry out.

Ruby tried not to struggle or she could hurt her master so she simply allowed the older woman to force her head to turn, the strain on the sensitive follicle nerves made Ruby's head obey each motion. Her master indeed knew and she would be severely punished if she did not rectify the situation.

"Onegai…master," Ruby begged breathlessly. "There were so many humans around I panicked, please let me make this right." The young witch begged as the tears finally broke free from their prison and rained down her cheeks.

When her master released her hair and pushed her away the young witch felt her heart thud against her chest in fear. Would she be punished or would she be allowed to correct her mistake?

"Very well." Her master finally spoke up, lifting the heavy well of fear that had been pressing down on the young woman's heart.

She had seen what her master was capable of when she was angry. Often she would take the humans to the basement, out of sight when she would catch them in her traps. Ruby had been forbidden to go down there for a reason or another, but she was young, rebellious. She was tempted by the muffled noises that came from the basement at night.

*~~~~~*

_One day, during the morning, her master had gone out to seed the fields. Ruby had thought it safe to sneak to the basement. It was curious that during the night it would be so noisy but in the day everything was so quiet. She made her way down to the first floor of the manor. She made her way to the kitchen. The linoleum floor held various stains that held detailed history of meals and messes made on this floor. Ruby was careful not to slip as her black-socked feet padded against the silent, stale air of the kitchen. The backdoor was opened, but the screen door was closed. Her master most likely left the manor using this path. The young witch took a spare candle holder and lit the wick carefully. _

_The basement was pitch black._

_The steeps creaked eerily as Ruby's weight shifted against the aging wood. The candle's flame danced against the sudden updraft that carried an awful stench with it. Ruby settled her hand over her mouth and nose and held the candle to the air. It was difficult for her to see. When the candle leaned to the side, it illuminated the very back of the basement. There seemed to be some things stored down here, they looked like machines of some sort._

_Ruby edged toward the back wall where a small crack through the mortar was visible, roots growing in through the soil. She held up her candle and screamed. Her cry carried out to the field where the old master was feeding the flock. The birds scattered at the shrill cry and the older witch rushed back to the house. _

_Ruby dropped the candle and the flame flicked, nearly burning out but the waxed tool rolled toward the wall. Hanging from the wall by metal cuff links was a woman. She was nude and had cross-hatched markings all along her chest. Her breasts looked like they had been repeatedly burned by molten wax as white, dried remnants remained burned into her skin. Her legs were forced together by an iron vice. A deeply red rash appeared to be marring the whole of her inner thighs and reaching out to her legs and down her knees. Dried blood was evident from these particular wounds._

_She had looked dead, but the woman was clearly breathing! Barely… Ruby felt almost sick, and wanted to vomit, and she had realized what that stench was. It was a mixture of dried urine, blood and human feces. Ruby leaned forward and hoarsely vomited against the ground. When she sat up she was panting heavily. She glanced to the side at a flickering shadow. Sitting on what appeared to be a pile of fireplace pokers was a black whip. She could not see it, but she could assume there was blood on that too, it had most likely what had made those cross-markings on the woman's flesh._

_She knew her master hated humans, and it was within their right to kill them for defacing their home and killing nature, but to go to such extents and torture them?_

_Ruby looked up, only to find the woman's hazel eyes boring into her dark lavender irises. Ruby wanted to scream again. There was so much agony in the woman's eyes, but her voice was caught in her throat when Ruby felt a hand on her shoulder. The candle light flickered out as a gust of air pushed passed Ruby._

*~~~~~~~*

Ruby shivered at the thought of the scars on her back her punishment had left. That woman's blood had been all over that whip. She could not was the feeling out of her skin, and had nearly rubbed her skin raw.

"Bring the boy to me, and I will forgive you." Ruby's heart skipped a beat at the command.

She did not mean to…? The young witched looked up into the far off look in her master's face. She would not question her out loud, lest suffer a punishment. Ruby could not look to her though, feeling as if she would cry if she did.

That boy had saved her and did not deserve such a cruel end at her master's hands. Perhaps she could kill the boy before her master got to him, and save him the suffering? It would be the kind thing to do, she would not let him suffer in that manner, as her opinion of him was held in thought after his selfless act. Ruby stood and nodded. The young witch left her master's room and silently closed the door behind her. She stood for a moment with her back against the wooden door and sighed. What would she do? She fought between her sense of obligation as a witch and her sense of humanity… could a non-human even have humanity?

*~~~~~~~~*

Down in the forest there was a search and rescue team set out with the K-9 unit to find the missing person. It was only a few hours after the accident, but the dogs easily found a scent trail.


	5. They Are Eyes That Kill

**Chapter V: They Are Eyes That Kill**

Tsukune sighed contently and reached to his chest to undo the zipper of his jacket. He felt a little stuff in the room. When he pressed his finger to his chest he realized that he touched against the coarse fabric of his shirt. He also felt a warm air against his back, so he reached back and felt at the tear against his shirt. His jacket must have gotten torn as well, it was a pity seeing as he liked that jacket, but better the jacket's life than his.

Tsukune glanced away from the window and looked to his side where Satoru sat perched on the edge of the old, white-painted commode of rococo design. The commode itself was decorated with gilded, abstract, asymmetrical patterns that twisted along the edges of the furniture and legs. What caught the boy's attention was the picture frame sitting on top of the commode. He leaned forward, Satoru suddenly jumped from the commode and fluttered onto the top of the canopy bed and perched himself on the top of the bed post. His sudden motion had started Tsukune, but seeing as the bird had simply moved out his way he sighed in relief.

Tsukune reached out and picked up the picture frame. It was a bit heavy as the frame was made of brass. The picture looked rather dirtied and was a bit torn, but it was in relative condition. The picture had been taken in front of the flower field, the yellow sunflowers easily visible in the background. There was a woman and man in the picture as well as a black-haired girl who was enthusiastically smiling and waving her hands out. Tsukune blushed and rubbed at the back of his head with his bandaged left hand. It was a cute photograph, and he could assume by the age of the photo that the girl in the picture may be the one he saved. She looked to be a happy child. He absent-mindedly wondered how she would be now.

The young man had been so lost in his thoughts he did not hear the door of the room open and close. Satoru was softly cawing and stretched its wings out when it saw his master enter the room. Ruby had her head lowered and back pressed to the door as her hands tentatively gripped at the doorknob. Ruby wiped the remnant tears from her mauve colored eyes and sighed. She would have to do it herself. She looked up, hearing Satoru making anxious sounding noises.

The witch inhaled a sharp breath when she saw Tsukune standing in front of her commode. Her heart began to race with the trying knowledge of her situation. She shook her head and exhaled a shaky breath. She would need to stand her ground or all these years of work would be for naught. If she waivered now the humans would never learn their place and understand the pain they are causing her master and her by destroying their home which they had held for generations. As far back as Ruby could remember, this knoll had been a home for witches. Ruby had even lived here with her parents a time long ago. When her parents died she had come to live with her master. They lived happily together for a time, at least before the humans had invaded without their permission. Ruby could still feel the anger in her master's heart. She had changed after that. Many of the other covens fled, but her master, alone, had stayed behind and sought to protect their home from the humans.

Ruby glanced up to Tsukune, her resolve still unsteady, mirroring the ragged beating in her chest. Tsukune set down the picture frame, the mental frame touched against the wooden drawer with a soft click. Ruby felt her heart jump. She suddenly realized he had been looking at the frame, touching her treasured memory. The sadness that welled inside of her from the memory boiled into a feeling of violation. He had touched her precious treasure without permission, but worse yet her master would do far worse than kill him were she to be allowed to lay her hands on him.

"Iie…" Ruby gasped out in a choked whisper as she pressed her hands against her chest, cupping at the forceful beating against her chest.

Tsukune heard the faint whisper of the young witch's voice, and immediately startled. He knew he had felt a presence, but he had assumed it was the large raven that was still watching him. He slowly turned around and was taken aback by the young woman's beauty. Her skin was pale peach color. She was very modestly dressed in what Tsukune could only assume to be Western clothing. Her long black skirt frilled against her body as her pink corset hugged against her chest. Along her arms were dark pink, almost faded red, arm coverings that ran from just under her shoulder down to her wrists where black wrist bands. On the black wrist bands were brass bracelets, and a black leather strap on her left wrist, uniquely. Her long black hair was pulled back with a pink ribbon. Ruby often pulled her pigtails down at nighttime, which left two long bangs hanging down the side of her face, framing her slightly rounded cheeks.

Something was wrong though.

She was shaking. Ruby was holding back her emotions as best she could but they would not be hindered by her weak resolve. She looked up into Tsukune's russet eyes. The young man gasped at the sight of her amethyst eyes. They were full of tears.

Tsukune felt the atmosphere grow heavy. His ears flooded with a deafening silence. He could feel his heart beating in his chest, but he could not hear it. Her lips moved, but he could not believe it. He reached to the numbing feeling in his abdomen and looked down when he felt a thick, viscous liquid rush against his skin.

A feather, a raven's feather, had embedded itself into his stomach, as well as the walls around him and the glass window behind him. It was like a splinter slivered into his skin. A feather shouldn't be able to pierce you like this, like a nail into the chest of a kushimi doll. He looked up to the girl, her hand was held out with her palm flat. Behind her sat six beautiful black wings, the lower wings had green tips and glittered against the dim light filtering into the room through the uncovered window. He looked into her eyes, searching for a reason, a reason why it did not hurt. Was he in shock?

_Oyurishi kudasai._

Her lips moved, her eyes filled with a heavy pain, as if this was something she always did, but never wanted to do. It was a forced duty placed on the angel with black wings. She was exactly what the Angel of Death was described to be: a beautiful face beyond comparison, and the foreign dress from a figure only found in fairy tales. Her black feathers glittered against the moon, as did the tears that rained from her eyes.

He was going to die?

He did not want to die, so he fought. He pushed away from the window and ran toward Ruby, reaching out to her as if begging her for a moment to explain why. Suddenly he felt another feather embed itself into his shoulder. That time he felt the pain, and opened his mouth to yell out in pain, but his hand shot up to his shoulder and he staggered back against the window. He squeezed his eyes shut as his hearing came back and, what sounded like nails slamming into wood, flooded the room with its cacophony. The discordant sounds retched at his consciousness. He felt the feeling of falling again.

"Aono-san!!" He heard his name on the young woman's lips.

His eyes shot open, only to realize the glass of the window had shattered all around him. The feathers had pierced into the surrounding wall and into the glass, weakening the pane's structure. It shattered when Tsukune's weight fell against it. Tsukune's sense of time was regained and his body slammed into the porch roofing that hung under Ruby's bedroom window. Tsukune's adrenaline kicked in and he quickly ripped the feathers from his shoulder and stomach.

His flight response finally kicked in when he realized something was very abnormal about this situation. The searing pain of the puncture wounds were pushed to the back of his mind as he rolled onto his feet and ran to the edge of the porch roof.

Ruby gasped and rushed over to her window. Satoru leapt off the bed post and flew out of the window, landing on the roof. The large raven hopped over to the edge of the roof as Tsukune jumped off. Ruby hiked up her skirt and pulled it into her hands as she crawled up and out of her window. She rushed across the roof and dropped to her knees. She looked over the edge with Satoru and felt her body shudder with relief when she saw Tsukune push to his feet and race off into the sunflower field.

She shook her head, realizing there was no time to feel relieved, if she did not kill him her master would trap and torture him.

"Hayakushite Satoru!" Ruby called as she jumped off the roof, using the wings on her back to slow her landing.

As soon as she landed she folded the black wings in and they seemed to disappear into her bare back, leaving behind two visible marks against her shoulder blade. Satoru cawed and leapt into the air. The raven spread his wings and glided across the tops of the sunflowers. Ruby held out her hand and her wand appeared. The long, dark oak-colored staff was like a solid twist of root, and at the top a green gem sat curled between the grabbing curls of wood. The black-haired witch took running and raced through the flower field, using Satoru as a marker to note where Tsukune was. The large bird easily spotted the young man as he blindly rushed through the dense scrub of flowers.

Tsukune pushed through the flower field, his bleeding had stopped but the pain returned and it interfered with his running. He was not a person who was impressively fit; he had average speed at best and could only hold to his stamina for long. It was also late and his body was in need of nourishment. He did not know how long he would be able to run, but something told him not to stop.

"_She had wings!" _His mind screamed at him, giving him incentive to run faster and push back the growing pain in his legs.

His ears flooded with the sound of his harsh breathing as he pushed aside the tangled flowers. Once in a while he felt some of the rootings and vines grab his ankle, causing his steps to falter. Tsukune yelled out when he felt one of the vines tightly grab his leg just as he reached the field's border. He pushed himself to sit up as he pulled his leg from the vine and looked down, only to see the vine retreating. For a moment it looked like it was retreating but the force of his pull merely had made it snap back with force, he convinced himself. He looked up and saw the woods. He remembered that the hiking trail was nearby. If he could make it out of the woods and back into the city he would be safe.

Tsukune jumped at the sound of a raven's crow. He looked up and sitting on an outcropping branch of a tree was a large black raven. Tsukune swallowed the lump that gathered in his throat. He slowly walked toward the woods, watching the bird. It tilted his head and watched Tsukune.

"Satoru!?" Ruby's voice called.

Tsukune recognized it as the voice of the woman from earlier. The bird called frantically, alerting his master. Tsukune gasped in fear realizing the bird was scouting for his location. The young man would not stand by and let that woman catch him. He heard her shuffling through the field, she was close. She did not seem be slowed down at all by the vines and roots.

"_I have no choice." _He had recalled her saying just before….

What _had _happened to him back there? Nothing made sense, but he had to survive so he could make sense of it later. Maybe he would look back at this and laugh at what may be a simple explanation.

_They call it the Witch's Hill. A witch lives deep in the flower fields and controls the animals in the woods to kidnap you._

He looked to the raven who had led the woman to him. He had been in her home after losing consciousness and she tried to… It had become clear, but he did not want to believe something like that.

"Witch's aren't real." He muttered as he pushed into the forest.

As he ran he could hear her footsteps crunching after him. It was than the woods suddenly became darker. He felt strange, heavy presences all around him. Were the rumors about her ability to control animals true? Overhead the raven still followed Tsukune. The young man easily recognized his surroundings, even in panic, and made his way onto the trail. He paused a moment to gather his bearings and catch his breath.

The hooting of owls filled the ominous night air, detonating to Tsukune how late it truly was. The trial was open, and it was easy to see what was in front of him and behind him. He would be safest here because she would not be able to surprise him. After finally regaining his breath Tsukune continued along the path. It would take him several minutes to get back to civilization, but as the sounds of the heavy wooded area became filled with more and more noise, Tsukune became unable to stay relaxed. He could hear the padding of several feet crunching through the fallen leaves and dead branches. The sound was especially loud to the left of him. Muffled, distorted voices began to fill the trail. Tsukune looked over his shoulder and could see the winged woman standing with staff in hand. His eyes widened as he nearly froze at the sight. He stumbled forward and began to ran, but he could hear her footsteps at equal measure, slowly catching up to him.

He could soon feel her presence right behind him.

"No! Get away!" He yelled out.

Ruby had reached out to grab his shoulder, but she felt her body freeze at his sudden command. She shook her head and stopped mid-step, just hovering centimeters off the ground. She gripped her wand in her hands and began to chant a spell. Tsukune continued to run, pushing his body to its limits as his legs burned and his injuries stung.

The witch's chanting stopped, the echoing murmurs of her voices faded from Tsukune's ears as a massive, black-furred beast stood on the trail in front of him. It turned its head, its green eyes glowing in the almost non-existent light of the mood as the white, heavenly face was blotched out by the clouds above.

He was trapped. His body gave in and Tsukune fell to his knees. He held to his instinct and held his hands protectively over his neck and trembled. He would die here in the woods without ever being someone…


	6. Paradise Lost

**Chapter VI: Paradise Lost**

It was like a thunderclap. The beast had let out a fierce bark that sent Tsukune's bones cold. The dark silhouettes of the clouds above filtered through the leafless canopies. The open trail was littered with uninviting shadows which relentlessly hovered over Tsukune's fear stricken body. A chilling wind blew across the wooded lands, sending a swirl of dead, crumpled leaves scratching across the flat, beaten path. Tsukune sucked in a breath when he felt the hot wheezing of the beast's throaty pants just over his head.

"Get up…" He heard a voice call between the pants.

Tsukune blinked the tears from his eyes and slowly lifted his head, his eyes setting on the wet, glistening nose of the hound-beast.

'Hey, are you okay?" The voice called again.

Tsukune felt a human hand press against his shoulder. The young man looked up to see the bright light of a flashlight glare in his eyes. Tsukune winced and blinked rapidly, allowing his eyes to grow used to the invasive beam. When the light pulled back Tsukune's eyes were able to focus on the face of a man. The man was dressed in dark blue clothing and wore white gloves. Tsukune's mind slowly began to recognize the uniform. In one of his hands: the man held a flashlight, while in the other he gripped tightly to the leash of the large, dark-furred Akita. Tsukune felt the cold, wet nose of the dog, being pulled back by the officer's leash press against his cheek, jolting him back into reality.

_I'm safe._

It was the first thing that came to mind. He looked over his shoulder, his body and mind seeking confirmation that his attacker was long gone. The young man nearly leapt out his skin when he saw the young witch standing off the trail with the raven on her shoulder.

"I said: Are you okay?" The officer repeated.

Tsukune quickly turned his head to face the older man who carefully knelt down and checked Tsukune for wounds. Tsukune looked back down the trail, only to see that the woman was gone. He could hear the dulled voices of rescuers grow in intensity as their feet shuffled against the loose soils and rocks of the path. It did not take long for the medical team to be check over Tsukune's injuries and carry him out of the trail to safety.

It was a curiosity to them, to who had exactly tended to his larger wounds. They would have never believed Tsukune; to be honest he did not believe it himself. He simply admitted to losing consciousness and having no idea of what was going on. He did not know what happened to the girl and presumes she ran away in fear when he fainted. It was the closest truth he had, because at that moment nothing made sense. In that place he used to believe was a paradise, was now a horrifying memory. He would never go back there.

*~~~~~~*

Several days later Tsukune had finished packing his things and prepared to move into the school dorms. He had not forgotten his terrible experience in the sunflower field, and would often have nightmares. He would always see her face, crying. He tried to shake off the thoughts but his mind was consumed by this woman's presence and her eerily lavender eyes. Why had she been crying? His mind would often wonder, but he had no answer to sate its thoughts.

Tsukune and his father carried his packed items to the car. His mother made bentos for the trip; the poor woman was heartbroken by the thought of her only son leaving to such an early independence. His father assured her that it was only a train ride away and visits were always possible. It was a quiet ride. Tsukune would drift in and out of his thoughts, trying to make sense of the events of that night. A lot of it simply was not his imagination. The scars on his shoulder and abdomen were proof enough of his contact.

His motions were almost mechanical, as he unpacked the back of the car, and carried his things with his father, to his dorm room. His mind wavered in the midst of his new experience. He settled a box down in the corner of his room and sighed with effort. He glanced out of the window, which over looked the woodlands that sat as a border between the city and the sunflower field. What would he believe?

"Hey Tsu, okaasan and I got you a going away gift, and sort of a late "job well done" going away present." Tsukune's father said with a chuckle as he held up a large box in his hands.

Tsukune turned to his father and blinked when he saw the packaging. The young man was stunned with the generosity of his parents, the young man believing he did not deserve such attentions.

"A laptop, outosan, how did you…?" Tsukune walked forward and leaned his fingers against the box in awe.

With his father's salary this was like a splurge item. His father grinned and shuffled the box into his arms.

"You deserve a reward for a job well done!" His father heartily laughed, patting the young man's back roughly.

Tsukune chuckled and nodded at his father's affections.

"Thanks otousan… I'll work really hard, no more slacking off!" He promised.

After a heartfelt goodbye shared between parents and child, Tsukune returned to his dorm room and began to unpack. The halls were growing noisier with each passing moment, as more and more students arrived at their rooms. Tsukune was supposed to have a roommate so e made sure to keep his things on his half of the room, the dorm clearly separated by tatami mats. He had nearly had a heart attack when his father told him he was in a co-ed dorm. He tried to refuse, or get it changed, but his father urged him to experience a proper high school life and other suggestive situations that got him a good glare from his mother. He really could not complain about his father's reasoning. Didn't all fathers want their sons to be proficient with relationships?

It really did not matter; his mind simply could not concentrate on anything else right now. He finally finished unpacking most of his things, and there was still a bit of light left outside, so he decided to set up his laptop, it would take him a while to set it up for internet use. It was harbored in the back of his mind. He wanted to find hard evidence. Was there really a witch living on the knoll? After a while of installing programs Tsukune was finally able to get the internet working (after asking for help from some of the hall-bound students). He began on a basic search, the history of the sunflower field.

A young woman made her way down the dorm halls. In one hand she held a small sheet of paper that held her room number, and in the other she held her rather large briefcase. Many heads turned in her direction. She was a stunning young woman with dark pink hair, pulled back in a loose ponytail. Her emerald eyes sparkled with confusion and trepidation.

When she came to her room, she could hear the sounds of keyboard buttons rapping and a mouse clicking. To be courteous she gave a knock. When there was no answer the young woman reached into her skirt pocket and pulled out the key they had given her. She unlocked the door and nervously peered in. There was a young man sitting at one of the two desks in the room with a laptop. He had black, messy hair and his expression was flat, and serious. He looked a bit scary, but he did not appear to have any malicious intent on him, he just seemed preoccupied with thought.

Some of the more lecherous males in the hall wanted to stand up and ask to carry her bag in, as it looked heavy. One of them was brave enough and offered.

"N-no that's alright, it's too heavy." She sputtered out nervously.

The young man insisted and grabbed the bag, but he instantly found out that her warnings were no joke. Struggle as he may, there was no way he was lifting the heavy bag. The other males laughed at his weak nature, one by one, the other two attempted to lift it, only to meet the same result. The girl bowed her head in apology and grabbed the briefcase, lifting it with ease and squirreled into the room. She quickly shut the door and dropped the suitcase to the ground, the heavy bag making a loud thump.

Tsukune jumped at the sudden sound and turned around. It appears that his roommate arrived. Tsukune quickly stood to his feet and gave a courteous bow. The pink-haired woman returned it in kind.

"Hajimemaste, Akashiya Moka desu. Doozo yoroshiku." The young pink girl greeted, offering the young man her name. She smiled brightly and stood straight. "I guess you're my roommate." She added with a giggle.

"Hajimaste, Aono Tsukune desu. Doozo yoroshiku." Tsukune chuckled offering the greeting back to the young girl.

Moka looked to Tsukune, her brows knitting in curiosity. Something was rather odd about the young man, she could not quite place her finger on it though. Tsukune blinked and rubbed the back of his head at her suddenly scrutinizing gaze.

"Ee…to, Akashiya-san? Is something wrong?" He asked.

Moka blushed and shook her head profusely.

"N-nothing I was just… My things." She mumbled. "Much of it is still downstairs." She said with flushed cheeks.

Tsukune blinked and nodded to her.

"I-I'll help. I don't mind." The young man offered.

Moka beamed brightly and smiled at his kind words.

"T-thank you. I was a little worried…about my roommate." She admitted.

Tsukune chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "Don't worry I was worried about the same thing, let's get along okay and work hard together." Moka agreed to his words with a nod.

As Tsukune stood to walk out Moka reached out to stop him. He paused and looked back at her. She swallowed a moment at the odd feeling she sensed emanating off of him. He looked to her curiously.

"Hn, let's go!" She offered as the two of them walked out.

Soon they had carried all of Moka's things to the room they would be sharing for the rest of t he semester. After everything was unpacked the two sat down on their futons. They had bought some drinks from the vending machine and relaxed after the arduous labor.

"Wow your stuff was really heavy Akashiya-san." Tsukune sighed as he took a sip from his melon juice can.

Moka giggled and popped the top of tomato juice can. "I guess you're right." She admitted.

For a while she seemed rather nervous around Tsukune. He seemed to be a rather nice young man, but his state-of-mind earlier had concerned her.

"Ne, um, Tsukune-san…" She mumbled with a blush.

Tsukune nearly choked on his can of juice and sat up. She had called his first name? It did not bother him really, but it was strange. Moka looked up at him.

"I'm sorry is it inappropriate?" She worried.

Tsukune smiled and shook his head.

"We're friends now right, Moka-san?" He presented back.

Moka giggled and nodded, a blush creeping over her pale cheeks.

"Friend, I would like that." She hesitated on her next thought.

"Ne, Tsukune-san?" Moka began, catching the young man's attention. "I don't want to be bothersome, but what were you doing on the computer?" It had honestly caught her attention, the way he was acting.

"You seemed very lost in thought, and didn't hear me come in." She added.

Tsukune took a moment to think about it. Maybe it would be helpful to talk to someone about it. Tsukune finished off his can and set it in the recycle bin.

"Well it's a little embarrassing…" He hesitated.

Moka scooted over to the edge of her bed and leaned forward.

"I won't laugh!" She promised. "It can't be so bad can it? We are friends now after all" She added with a smile.

Tsukune gave a hesitant nod. Maybe it would make his heart feel lighter if he shared it with someone, anyone, willing to listen.

"Well…" He began, looking toward t he door in reluctance, before glancing back to Moka. "Have you heard of the Witch's Hill…?"


	7. Kanashibari

**Chapter VII: Kanashibari**

"Witch's Hill?" Moka repeated in question, being unaware of the rumors floating around that side of the city.

To be honest this had been her first time on her own, so she often, by habit, kept to herself. It has been a long time since she has talked normally with another person.

"Well," Tsukune nervously began, unsure of how to word his feelings about the situation.

His best path would be to ask her what she believes first, lest he come off as crazy. He really did not want to be labeled as insane by his roommate for the next three years. Tsukune sat up in his bed and looked over to the pink-haired young woman.

"Moka-san?" He began as he tried to properly gather his thoughts. "Do you believe in witches?" He asked, feeling a little tense at the words that left his mouth.

Those words did sound crazy out loud. They sounded a lot worse than he expected as well. Tsukune had lowered his head, mentally berating himself for his stupidity. Of course they did not exist. He was just stressed and was imagining things. Maybe those were not real feathers, and were some type of shuriken with feathers at the end of them? Though that did not change the fact that he was attacked by the girl, and the fact that she was crying over it.

"Of course." Moka responded with intense feeling.

Tsukune's head snapped up and he looked into the face of the pink-haired young girl with shock. Moka blushed under his concentrated gaze and looked down to the floor when she realized the amount of vigor she had responded with.

"I-it's just… I believe." Her sentence ended up as a soft murmur.

It was as if she held shame for believing in such things, and in truth it was how she felt.

"I believe in monsters and things like that…" She hesitated a moment, than glanced up at Tsukune. "It's not weird is it? I… I'm not normal either." She admitted as a soft blush crept over her cheeks.

Tsukune sat in silence for a moment. Moka was worried that perhaps she had said too much. She had already destroyed her chance at having a real friend. Moka looked up when Tsukune stood to his feet.

"Souka…" He murmured in thought, rubbing at his messy hair. "Thanks Moka-san. You helped me a little with my problem." He admitted with a chuckle.

Moka looked up to the young man as a smile crawled onto her features. She watched as he knelt down in front of his duffle bag and collected a shirt and other items, which caused the young girl to blush and turn away. She smiled and nodded her head.

"I'm glad." Moka called out, looking up as Tsukune as he walked toward the door of the dorm room.

Tsukune paused after opening the door. He looked back to Moka and chuckled.

"I don't think Moka-san is strange at all, but when I can understand my situation a bit more, I'll be sure to ask Moka-san her advice." The young man offered before leaving the room to the showering halls.

Moka smiled and watched him leave. He was a nice boy, but whatever this was on his mind he seemed awfully troubled by it. She would have to be sure not to let her anemia show up or she would only give him more trouble. He did not deserve that, especially after he was so nice to her.

It was getting rather late. It was a tiring day for both Moka and Tsukune. Moving into a new place, with an unfamiliar environment was unsettling for anyone. It was especially awkward for the two now that they were getting ready for bed. To their luck the small closet, which had a light inside, was large enough to fit a person, so they would change in there with no problem. Walking through the halls in your pajamas in a new place was unsettling really.

Outside the chilling autumn air called to the strong, bone-biting winds to carry across the skies. The cement faced buildings that lined the city streets acted like barriers that staved off the warning with insulated walls and unnatural heat. It was here that the humans felt the safest: behind their walls, hidden away from the frightening aspects of the wild nature that sat just outside of their windows. Just across the fields, and down the hills, toward the knoll, stood a familiar black-haired woman.

She stood at the end of the cliff, just facing the ocean. The cool air brushed against her bruised cheeks, as her tears stung against the tender flesh. She had been punished for allowing the human to get away alive. It could have been far worse, but she could not help but feel ashamed. She felt almost relieved that Aono Tsukune had escaped.

"_No! Get away!" He yelled out._

_She had felt her heart slam against her chest when she heard him say that. Her body froze with an unfamiliar feeling. She had almost lost her footing but stopped mid-step and gripped tightly to her wand. She hovered centimeters off the ground and began to chant a spell._

_The darkened skies and the sound of his footsteps echoed in her being and ran their way all the way down her spine._

_He fell to his knees, and she could see the shadow of the dog in the distance as he came nearer. It was only a matter of time until he was saved._

_She wanted to make sure._

_She watched and waited until he was carried away by the other humans. As cruel as they were, for now she could only trust them to protect him, and the spell she placed on him would allow her to know if he…_

Ruby lifted her hand and pressed it against her cheek. It still burned, even with the bitter cold numbing her now red face. Satoru sat at the edge of the cliff with his master. He looked on with uncertainty, his head tilting ever slightly as he hopped closer to the young witch. Ruby slid to the ground as her face sunk into her cupped hands. She began to cry.

Her chest was flooded with confusion. She was guilt-ridden for betraying her master, even if it had been unintentional. She was compelled to ensure that this boy, who had saved her, was killed by no other but her. She was adamant about it. She wanted no one else to end his life. Tears streamed into her palms, down her wrists as she openly sobbed, not only for the pain on her face, but for the pain in her heart.

She had collapsed during her punishment and had begged her master to stop. She could still hear the ringing of the whip cracks against the pale flesh of her legs. She swore with her life she would capture the human boy and end his insufferable life. It was what her master deserved after her lapse in judgment, and it was what the young man, Aono Tsukune, deserved for saving her life. She would be merciful and end it as quickly as she could. Ruby calmed down and took a deep breath. She looked over to Satoru. She could feel the cold blades of grass as they pressed against her skirt and could hear as the silent night air was filled with the rolling breaks of the ocean waves.

It was nearing midnight, so the witch would soon need to go to bed, but she did not want to leave this peace just yet.

*~~~~~~~*

Tsukune sighed and lay back in the soft comforter of his bed. Moka had fallen asleep already, tugged snuggly under her quilt, which was as pink as her pajamas. Tsukune blushed at his own thought as he too decided it best he go to bed. He would need to be up early. He was going to check out campus, and Moka had plans to try and get the rest of her things unpacked. Tsukune sighed when he felt the warmth of his quilt over his body. He rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling.

He could not help but think it so foreign. He had never thought something as generic as a ceiling would have him homesick already. He could hear as the winds struggled to pass through the twists of buildings and empty lots. The young man began to imagine how it would be like when the semester started… It would be nice if he had some classes with Moka, so he would not feel so alienated.

"No matter how hard I try, I can't forget her face…" He murmured as his eyes fluttered closed.

Moka's emerald eyes stared at the white wall. She too had felt a bit awkward in her new surroundings, so had been unable to fall asleep. She could easily catch the inarticulate words that rolled off the boys lips. She wondered for a moment if he had someone he liked, that was not in the circle of what was dubbed _normal. _With his line of questioning, and his clear worry for some girl he knew… perhaps he had an experience? Maybe she could open up to her friend, and not feel so ill at ease around him. For now she needed sleep, whatever would come, would come in the morning. The pink-haired girl sighed and closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep.

*~~~~~~~~*

Twelve-thirty was ticking close. Moka and Tsukune had already fallen into a deep sleep.

The room had gotten a little colder during the night, causing the young pink-haired girl to react by curling up and pulling her covers over her head. Tsukune's arm had snaked out from under his covers. His hairs stood on end at the feeling crawling up his arm. The lots were illuminated by the white light, which filtered into Tsukune and Moka's uncurtained windows. A raven's cry could be heard in the distance, overshadowing the soft hoots of a nearby owl.

The shadow of the bird slowly emerged on the open floor of the occupied dorm room when the avian perched itself on the outer sill. The shadow slowly grows in size until it takes the shape of a woman. The shadow slowly grows nearer Tsukune's futon; the sound of soft, heel clicks could be heard tapping against the ground. The ominous feeling filled the room with a freezing bite of air. Soon the shadow loomed over Tsukune. The young man's eyes rapidly darted about beneath his eyelids. The figure placed their hand on the edge of his futon, and with the other hand she pulled up her ankle length skirt to allow her legs to lift over the sleeping figure's body and straddle his chest.

Tsukuen groaned, feeling the tightening on his chest. It had become hard to breath and he allowed his eyes to flutter open. He was disoriented, and everything seemed a little blurry at first. It was dark, so his eyes took a few moments to adjust. When they finally did he felt his heart pick up speed to the sight of the figure on his chest. By the outline it was clearly a girl with long, free flowing hair. He could feel all of her weight on his chest and her hands pressing against his pectoral muscles.

"M-moka-san?" He murmured in half-lidded confusion.

He could see the shadowed figure's lips move. She turned her head to face where Moka's bed lay: on the other end of the room. Tsukune turned his head, following her motion. He could clearly see Moka lying on her side, her pink hair raining off the edge of the bed. At the realization he tried to gasp, but his lungs tightened. He tried to move his arms and legs but it felt like there were metal bracers pinning his wrist and ankles down. The weight on his chest was not helping him relax either; he could feel as his heart leapt another few beats per second. He looked up, and could make out the faint, lavender hue of the familiar eyes.

He felt something wet on his cheek, and came to the conclusion that she was crying.

"You." He barely choked out. It felt like he could not speak, but it was clear that she heard him as she nodded to his question.

He had nearly shivered when he felt her cold hand brush against his cheek gently.

"W-who are you? I can't stop thinking about you." He was sure that time his words did not come out, as his throat only felt like it was tightening further, drying.

Her lips moved, but he could not hear her. He struggled to move but froze when he saw two large, feather wings extend from her back. Her lips moved again, and Tsukune felt fear shoot through his body. Over her head she held a massive feather, which was curved back like a blade. The black weapon glimmered against the moonlight as the woman's pale hands gripped the handle. Tsukune squeezed his eyes shut and tried to scream, but he heard someone calling his name.

"_Tsukune-san!" _

Tsukune felt his body being moved. He blinked open his eyes. The weight was gone and he shot up into a sitting position. He was sweating heavily, and panting. He neck felt like it was on fire. He brushed his hand under his thing tendrils and felt a film of sweat.

"A nightmare?" Tsukune looked around the room.

Nothing seemed disturbed. He looked over to Moka's bed to find that she was rolled up, her quilts pulled over her head. Sitting up he too could now feel the cold air that filled up their room. He pressed his hand to his chest and swallowed. His throat was dry and his heart was still racing from the trying experience. Now he was dreaming about her…

*~~~~~~~*

Ruby sighed and unclasped her hands. She pushed to her feet, carefully dusting off her skirt. Satoru jumped off the ground and flew onto his master's shoulder. Ruby smiled and brushed her finger against the bird's ear. The swelling had lowered significantly, leaving her cheek an angry-purple.

"Let's go to sleep." She offered, the bird cawing in agreement.

Satoru jumped into the air and glided off toward the manor hiding deep within the field of flowers. Ruby glanced back over the ocean for a moment, before turning to face the city. She would have to lure him back as soon as possible…

* * *

(A/N: **Kanashibari **is the Japanese term for sleep paralysis, a condition that occurs between consciousness and REM sleep. The body attempts to wake up and move while the body has paralyzed itself to prevent the acting out of dreams. Often this phenomenon is compared to an out of body experience where, in both cases, similar perceptions are affected such as visceral buzzing, adrenal mental state, loud noises, the feeling of presences and paralysis.

**Kanashibari **literally translates to "bound or fastened in metal", describing the feeling of being bound.)


	8. Obstacle

**Chapter VIII: Obstacle**

Tsukune could not get back to sleep after such a realistic nightmare, so he decided it best to go out for a bit of fresh air. He was clearly unsettled and would need to get his mind off things before the morning came. He gathered up the room key and pulled up some sweatpants and a sweatshirt over his pajamas. He made his way into the empty halls of the dormitories. The corridors were nearly pitch black and the only source of illumination that lit the barren halls filtered in from the windows that lined up along the walls. Tsukune buried his hands in his sweatshirt pockets as he walked down the wintry, early morning hallway and covered his neck by allowing his shoulders to brush up just under his ears. It was an unreasonably freezing autumn that year. Tsukune was not expecting such extreme temperatures from the modern looking dorms. It did not seem that the building had any heat or insulation. It was short of camping in his mind.

Each of Tsukune's steps echoed down the hall. He could hear as the blistery winds moaned and heaved as the tall buildings creaked and ebbed. The naked tree branches scratched desperately against the panes of glass as they sought escape from the howling winds that sounded of unnatural beasts. Heel step for toe step was met with a lesser resonance every time until there was no sound.

Tsukune had stopped in his tracks. He stared down the corridor, only to be met with an utter darkness which undoubtedly enclosed a recognizable figure. He felt his breathing shallow and his heart rate nearly double as his hands slipped from his pockets.

He was seeing things right? It was just the shadows playing tricks on him, right? There was just no way she standing there, watching him, glaring into his very soul with those piercing lavender eyes.

It was the most unnerving experience ever. Had he gotten so stressed that his mind would just create the most striking features it could recall? Her long ebony hair, her pale, almost glowing, white skin and her mauve eyes seemed to constantly sparkle with tears held such powerful precedence in his memory.

Why was she always crying and why did he feel somewhat to blame for it?

He wanted some kind of answer! Any answer would do.

The young witch, hidden among the shadows turned her back to the young man and proceeded down the hall soundlessly.

"Wait!" Tsukune called out, causing the figure to hesitate a moment before it took off running and darted around a corner.

Tsukune took off after her; his steps once again filled the silent hall. He could hear whispers all around as the corridors quickly filled with distorted noised that seemed to converge at one point. The young man pushed harder, only for her to do so as well. The faster he ran, the further she became. Soon at the end of the hall Tsukune could see a light. He stepped into the light and could feel as if a weight was lifted from his shoulders.

Sitting in the lobby of the dormitories were a number of the new residents who had obviously had trouble sleeping in their new environments as well. The restless teens filled the lobby with noise as the bright lights created an endless stream of shadows that carried out into the darkened hall Tsukune stood in. Tsukune released a heavy sigh as his body fell heavy against the hall wall. He had really only been fooling himself it seemed. Feeling worse off than he did before he left his room, he returns.

He was just exhausted and prayed that his tired body would wish his mind away to sleep, a deep sleep where he could not dream. He sighed deeply and laid his head on the cool fabric of his pillow. When he closed his eyes and rolled onto his side the head of a sunflower pushed from between the pillow and futon, onto the floor.

The next morning Tsukune had stayed in late. When he woke he found Moka cleaning the room. She had disposed the flower in their shared trash bin, though by morning it had been nothing more than a shriveled handful of seeds.

"Ohyao gozaimasu Moka-san." Tsukune offered with a sleepy yawn.

The pink-hgaired girl smiled and bowed her head, returning the greeting.

"You seemed tired so I didn't wake you, I hope that was okay." She began. "I thought maybe we could go out for breakfast… and well—get to know the area better!" She ended with a nervous giggle.

Tsukune smiled and rubbed the back of his head.

"Sure let me get cleaned up and we'll head out!" He said with a laugh.

It seemed that everything that transpired last night was washed away from his worries with a good rest. He made his way to the wash rooms to clean up for the day. The feeling of the cool water splashing on his face was just the thing he needed. Considering the ordeal after last night he would just need to take things one step at a time today. As he left the communal bathroom, Tsukune vigorously rubbed his towel against his face, drying every bit of moisture. A lone raven sat perched on the bathroom's windowsill and had watched the young man through his routine.

It was not long until Tsukune and Moka made their way out for the day. Over lunch the young man animatedly explained to the young woman the frightening nightmare he had had. Even explaining it sounded impossible, even foolish for speaking out loud, but around Moka he just felt comfortable. Moka happily listened as Tsukune spoke. He seemed so happy to be able to talk about his problems, and she was glad she was the one who he turned to. She could not explain it but it made her feel… loved.

"Y…you don't think it's strange do you?" Tsukune nervously asked as he looked up into the understanding girl's emerald eyes.

She did not judge him for some reason; it was almost too good to be true. Moka felt her cheeks heat up as she looked down into her lap. Her hands gripped against the hem of her pink skirt as she searched her mind for the right response.

"Of course not." She finally spoke up. "I really care about Tsukune-san! He's my most precious friend!" She blurted out suddenly.

Tsukune blushed and looked down to his lap. Things were looking up. He felt elated and content with how things were going now, enough to forget about his horrible experience. Maybe meeting Moka was just the thing he needed, maybe this was fate.

"I'll be right back Tsukune-san." Moka said with a smile before excusing herself to the restroom.

The pink-haired young woman stood and stepped toward Tsukune. She blushed and bit down on her lower lip.

"I'll confide in Tsukune-san too, if that's okay." She asked.

Tsukune felt his throat tighten and he nodded. Moka felt her heart soar with joy.

"I'll hurry than!" She assured before grabbing her purse and heading off to the restroom.

*~~~~~~~~~*

The young pink haired girl now stood in the mirror of the bathroom staring at her reflection. She was alone in the lavatory and pressed the flat of her fingers against her chest, pulling the lapel of her shirt apart to reveal the silver Rosary around her neck. She felt her cheeks heat up again.

"Maybe I can tell Tsukune I'm a vampire…" Moka sounded almost delighted.

Akashiya Moka was what legend called a vampire. It was known as many things over the world, but it was a frightening youkai of Western origins. Vampires were by far the most powerful of all species of non-human, but they held some of the bigger weaknesses as a result. Their kind often suffered anemia due to the large amount of energy used and sacrificed to their youki, and pure water would render them helpless. Sacred objects, such as Rosaries, were used to seal their powers, and in the case of Akashiya her seal removed nearly all of her youkai power. The vampire had been so lost in her thoughts though, that she did not notice the presence in the room.

A dark shadow filled one of the bathroom stalls, while another snaked its way toward the door and locked it. The click of the lock surprised Moka, causing her to jump.

"H-hello?" The pink-haired vampire called in surprise.

Had someone come in and heard her? She looked over, but no one was there. The lights than flickered, the hum of the fluorescent lightning could be heard as it struggled to stay lit. Moka startled and looked up, stepping away from the sink. She could feel something in the air now, and whatever it was had surrounded her.

"W-who's there?!" The vampire called out, only to receive silence in response.

As the lights flicked, Moka could hear the pipes groan. Her emerald eyes glance over, her youkai eyes easily seeing in the dark.

_So is that your nature?_

A voice called out suddenly. Moka looked up, her breath hitching in her throat. What was this ominous feeling all around her? She looked to the sink, only to gasp when she saw what looked like a root, twisting its way from the faucet. Moka squeaked out when the spout exploded as the root continued to grow in size. The vampire cowered away from the water, only to hear the voice chuckle tauntingly.

_That's right, vampires hate water don't they?_

"W-who are you? W-why a—ah!!" Moka screamed in agony when she felt pain that seemed the equivalent of stepping on a live wire.

Moka found her feet in a pool of water. The vampire looked down and over to the sink. More roots were growing out from the ground and had ruptured the pipes which were now quickly filling the room with water. Moka screamed again as another jolt ran through her body, draining her youki's strength. Slowly the water sapped away her power until the young girl could no longer stand, and she collapsed into the water pooling on the floor.

Her vision was blurry, her hearing distorted.

"W…why are you doing—this?" The vampire struggled to speak as she forced open her eyes.

Sitting on the counter of the sink was the black-haired witch. Ruby's leg was crossed over her knee while she tapped the head of her wand against her shoulder.

"I don't like you." Ruby responded, for some reason feeling bitter toward the girl. "You interfere." She convinced herself.

"Wait…" Moka rasped out, only to feel the rough, twisted roots slowly wrap around her weakened body.

The roots slowly began to ingrain themselves into the vampire's flesh and drained what was left of her physical energy. Moka's emerald eyes rolled to the back of her head as she lost consciousness.

*~~~~~~~~*

Police and ambulance surrounded the small indoor-outdoor restaurant only hours after. Her body was found by another costumer. Tsukune had thought she left, but he had still waited, and he worried. He should have checked on her, he should have spoken up. Tsukune and many others were questioned by the police, but no one had heard anything nor had seen anyone coming or going from the girl's restroom.

Akashiya Moka, age fifteen, was found bled dry and disemboweled, on the floor of restroom downtown. The blood that was not found on the floor was smeared across the mirrors, blanketing them completely. There had been no evidence of resistance on the girl's part, it was as if she allowed herself to be killed.

Many people were concerned. Some say they saw similarities in her death to some deaths connected to the Witch's Hill. Many were panicked that perhaps the witch's were starting to leave the hill to murder the unsuspecting, but seeing as that girl was the only victim, they had come to the conclusion that she had done something to desecrate the hill. Hearing this caused Tsukune's heart to nearly stop. Moka would never do such a thing, would she? He watched as the medics zipped up the body bag and carefully carried the body into the bed of the ambulance. They would have to call her family to identify what was left of the body.

It was his fault she died? No it was just faceless rumors.

Tsukune could hear the familiar call of a raven. He looked up as the people around him slowly dispersed from the scene as the officers ushered them away. Sitting right on the branch of a leafless tree was the large raven he had seen once before. He knew it was the same bird… he knew it was.

He ran.

He did not know where he was going, or what he would do, but he could not stay there. He just needed to go, he needed to get away. Satoru leapt from his perch and flew after the boy. Ruby stepped out from behind the tree and watched him run away. She could not help but feel almost hurt whenever she saw him running from her.

"No matter… one less obstacle." The witch assured herself before disappearing into the winds.

* * *

(A/N: Hey guys. Been sick (and still somewhat) for several days so my brain is relative mush right now. Took me several days to finish this chapter where as it normally takes me a day to write a chapter so um I'll try and update my other stuff soon, hope you enjoy this one for now. Ja Ne.)


	9. Another Appears Apparent

**Chapter IX: Another Appears Apparent**

Tsukune was not sure how far he ran but his body had grown exhausted. He had little energy left, even after lunch. It has all been too stressful. He had watched as they carried her away. He should not have watched them… the memory was now burned into the back of his eyes, which he felt begin to burn as he collapsed onto his knees. He sat there and mourned the death of the friend he confided in and cared for. From the shadows a figure watched the young man as he sobbed. Tsukune had run to the edge of the park, to a secluded area. It has been better that way so no one could see his breakdown. His entire body shook with the fear of the possibility of being cursed by the witch, and his mind swam with the horror of being her next victim. He prayed with all of his might that he would not be next.

*~~~~~~~~~*

At the morgue the medics wheeled the girl's body back toward the freezer.

"She was only fifteen? What a terrible thing to occur, in public too. I hope that madman is caught." The medical examiner said as she looked over the report with the ambulance chief.

The two medics hoisted the body back onto a cold bed and wheeled out of icy cold room. They shut off the lights and closed the heavy steel door behind them. The voices were quickly muted out into unrecognizable murmurs and whispers.

A moment or two after there was a rapping at the window. The drumming grew louder, and louder still until the thick, bullet proof glass shattered, releasing a heavy exhale of frozen air and a petrifying odor that carried into the city.

From the window jumped a small raven. Than another, until a flock of them settled on the icy tile floors. Through the throng of birds flowed a beautiful black skirt which danced around the graceful steps of a familiar, onyx-haired witch. Ruby gathered a handful of skirt on each side of her leg to help gather her steps more quickly, until she found her way to the bed where Akashiya Moka's body bag lay. The young witch settled her wand against the side of the steel freezers that housed the body of many dead, but only this one mattered. Releasing her skirt, Ruby reached out and carefully pulled down the zipper of the body bag, exposing the remains of what was once a beautiful young woman.

The darkness of the room matched its chilly atmosphere. The dark secrets of death held behind each door and within each body could tell stories for years to come, but the witch had seen it all in her lifetime. Visible fogs of breath left the young, living woman and carried down over the lifeless, blue body. The vampire's face looked so peaceful, compared to the agonized look on the witch's reddened features.

"What have I done?" She choked out, pressing her hands to her face, and falling to the cold, stone tiles of the floor.

She had not meant to kill the persons uninvolved in the incident. It was not her place to punish non-humans or anyone that had not desecrated the knoll.

"Please forgive me…but I still need you." Ruby struggled to stand, but finally did.

One of the crows flew onto the edge of the steel medical bed that Moka's body was laid out on. The bird was carrying a vial of some sort, filled with sunflower seeds. Ruby held out her pale hand and the bird drops the vial obediently. Ruby removes the cap and pours a few seeds into her hand than looks to Moka.

"Even if you cannot…" The witch murmured as she poured the seeds into Moka's open chest. "Then allow me."

After the medical examiner was done she turned down toward the freezer. She pulled on a lab coat and some gloves, rather used to the cold in her case. She unlocked the freezer and pulled the door open, only to not feel the usual hiss of freezing air, which she found unusual. The woman turned to check the temperature of the room, and it had noticeably dropped no more than a degree or two but when storing dead bodies, any irregularity that showed a malfunction in the system mattered.

She than realized the medics had left the lights on, though that was only a secondary concern, because when she looked up she saw the window has been shattered. Double paned glass just sat there, shattered. The first thing she did was check on the open bodies. Nothing seemed to be disturbed, so she ran over to the nearby phone hooked onto the wall to call for assistance about the window. The smell would carry into the city easily, and cause a major disturbance.

When the examiner turned her back, she failed to notice the movement coming from the newest bag belonging to Akashiya Moka, as a strange, black root curled from inside the bag and pulled it off.

"Yes, that's right." The examiner was on the phone, her back to the dead bodies, confident in the fact that they were dead. "Yes, thank you I appreciate the help." She felt a strange chill as she hung up the phone.

When she turned around, she screamed in horror, only to be pinned to the wall by several black vines and roots. The creaking twists of roots cracked through the hollow room and soundless air. When the medical examiner tried to scream again she was silenced by a large root being forced into her mouth and down her throat. Her body slowly shriveled up as the monstrous plant drained her body of its nutrients.

*~~~~~~~~~*

"Hey, are you okay?" A soft voice called out to Tsukune, startling him from his wrecked state.

The young man fall back as he inhaled a sharp breath. Someone had pressed their hand to his shoulder. The figure was a bit taken aback by his sudden reaction as well, but taking a second look at his face she found him quite cute and helpless. Tsukune looked up to fully take in the sight of this unusual, yet adorable figure of a young woman.

She was rather small, compared to some of the girls he's seen as of late, but she had large, round, and violet eyes that seemed to sparkle in the sun. Her face was framed by dark blue bangs, the rest of her silky hair was held back with a magenta ribbon decorated with stars along the length. Her cheeks were pinked and slightly puffed and her worried expression made her even more vulnerable and innocent that spoke volumes against her generous cup size that seemed to roll against each of her motions and breaths.

He thought breath right? Not breast.

Tsukune could not find the words to speak, so simply nodded. His tears were quick to dry, hiding away all signs of weakness. The young, blue-haired girl wore a white blouse that should have been illegal for her bust size under a heavy looking white fur coat and a purple necktie that matched her dangerously short skirt. The girl giggled and smiled at his disposition.

"It's pretty rare now a days to see a guy with feelings." She mused, holding out both her hands to him. "I was beginning to think they've gone extinct, the way of the dragon." She joked.

Tsukune smiled and held out his hands, accepting her help. After introducing themselves the young girl and boy decided to walk in the park for a little bit.

"I'm so sorry Tsukune-kun! To think someone would be so cruel!" The young woman exclaimed after hearing how he saw his best friend dead only hours earlier.

"It's okay Kurono-san, I understand there wa—did you just?" He blinked, realizing Kurono Kurumu, the young girl he had met literally moments ago, called him by his first name.

She cutely looked over to him and blinked curiously at his words. It was as if it came natural for her. Did he come off as such a kind person? That really could not be as easy as it seemed, could it? He sighed, not really wanting to get into it.

"Nevermind…" He chuckled nervously. "But what were you doing out here Kurono-san?" Tsukune asked, noting the girl had a map in her hand.

She pouted out her puffy, pink lips and held up the folded map.

"I came looking for this place they said was well known for some good natured guys." She admitted unashamed.

Tsukune was silent a moment and blinked. She was really boy hunting, actively? He laughed. Kurumu narrowed her eyes and whacked his arm with her map.

"I found you!" She exclaimed. "So I had to be going in the right direction!" She felt somewhat offended, but his laugh was cute.

He was obviously a human boy but that did not matter to her, he smelled nice. Kurono Kurumu was no human woman, far from it. She was a youkai known as a succubus: a demon known to invade men's dreams for the explicit enjoyment of controlling their minds and bodies for the sole purpose of sexual pleasure. She was enrolled in a Private Academy for youkai, but would not be attending for another season, so her mother had allowed her to go hunting for a prospective mate. She had gone looking for a harem, but found one better.

Tsukune felt a little embarrassed, and very nervous. Moka had gotten hurt because she knew him, right? Or was it because he had told her things she should have not known?

"Hey look at that!" Kurumu's voice pulled Tsukune out of his morbid thoughts.

He looked up when he felt his arm pulled into her grip, only to be swallowed into the valley of her marshmallow-soft breasts. Tsukune tried to sputter out some words but found himself on the rather embarrassing end of a nose bleed. The young woman dragged Tsukune across the street to an ice cream parlor. When they stopped he was finally able to look up to where she had brought him. He felt uneasy. He looked away, and Kurumu realized he still may be hurting. She smiled and kissed his cheek, causing him to blush and jump back a bit.

"She was your friend right?" She wanted to assure herself that was all she was to him, but also help him realize.

Tsukune glanced away. His fingertips sat pressed against his cheek. The spot was warm and tingled somewhat. She could see it would be easier to gain his affection without any charm if she kept her natural charms up. He looked like a nice boy, and it would be improper to use her Charm when he was hurt like this. He still said nothing, but nodded and turned to face the young succubus. Kurumu smiled and gently took his hand into hers.

"Friends want friends to be happy." She spoke in a loving tone. "Even if they aren't around anymore." She looked into Tsukune's russet eyes with her violet ones.

Tsukune felt his cheeks heat up. Why did talking to this girl make him feel so comfortable and easy going? She had a certain air around her that reminded him of Moka, but Kurumu had her own special lure, he could not quite place it, but it was something else. The succubus giggled and pulled him closer.

"I'll show you the female's method to feeling better." She stated, causing Tsukune to look at her with a baffled look.

"After a good cry, it's customary to go and drown the rest of it in ice cream and gossip!" She cheered, pulling him into the parlor, passed a few costumers.

Across the street, on a lamppost, Satoru sat perched. The beady-eyed bird watched the ice cream shop and watched as Tsukune had been dragged in by the blue-haired woman. The raven let out a calm cawing sound and nestled in its place, waiting for his master's return.

Inside Tsukune and Kurumu sat at a table together and shared a large hot fudge sundae. Many men, even those with partners, openly stared at the large-breasted woman. She was petite and adorable, it was rather amazing how she could be so proportioned yet still be so reserved manner-wise. The succubus giggled and whispered with Tsukune about various things she has seen in the city. This had been her first time here, and it was frightening. It not for Tsukune, she said, she was seconds away from going back home.

"You're not from around here?" Tsukune wondered as he took a spoonful of ice cream, finding it a bit odd to be eating ice cream in the winter, but this girl was really strange herself.

Kurumu giggled and shook her head.

"No way!" She exclaimed. "I'm from a backcountry. I mean my mother are well off financially, seeing as I'll be going to a private school in the summer, but that land has been in my family for generations and I'll be the next to fill it up with love!" She said dreamily.

Tsukune could not help but chuckle. She was something else; she was very old fashioned, but a sweet girl. He had almost forgotten about his sadness, but it would always be there. Even though he knew Moka for a short time, it was a deep rooted friendship created by their needs. Upon thinking about it in that manner, he realized that maybe the reason they grew so close so fast, was wrong somehow. They had used each other to fill the space occupied by their fears.

It had not helped, because he was still afraid. Ever since that nightmare, he had felt as if someone was watching him.

Tsukune chuckled at Kurumu's colorful stories as they picked away at their ice cream bowl. Tsukune looked up toward the parlors large glass window. He blinked and realized that he saw something.

"Tsukune-kun?" Kurumu called to the young man as she followed his eyes.

Tsukune began to laugh as a few other people were looking out the window. It had begun to snow.


	10. Sakura Petals Over Snow

**Chapter X: Sakura Petals Over Snow**

Tsukune chuckled at Kurumu's colorful stories as they picked away at their ice cream bowl. Tsukune looked up toward the parlor's large glass window. He blinked and realized that he saw something.

"Tsukune-kun?" Kurumu called to the young man as she followed his eyes.

Tsukune began to laugh as a few other people were looking out the window. It had begun to snow. It had felt as if time had stopped. It was so long since Tsukune had seen it snow, at least that's how it felt. He had been so busy trying to find stability that he has forgotten to take the time to stop, and just breathe. Kurumu made him feel like he could do that, even if only for a moment. He looked over to the blue-haired girl. She was mesmerized by the falling specks of snow that quickly began to fill the streets.

The pair made their way out of the quaint, little shop and into the streets. They had decided to go to the park and find a trail. At first, Tsukune felt a little uncomfortable going off-trail. The rumors of the witch taking people straight off the trail still clouded his fear-stricken mind at this point, but the girl insisted that nothing would happen while he was with her. As they traveled, the trails became heavy with snowfall.

Kurumu was reminded of a fairy tale, that told of a village of yuki onna where is snowed like this all the time. The young succubus had never experienced snow first-hand before, which amazed Tsukune. She said she was closer to the Pacific Ocean where it was mostly dry in Nippon. Kurumu held his arm against her chest as they walked. Even though the young man still hurt after seeing his friend die in such a horrific fashion, he could not help but feel a little relaxed around the young girl. She had a strange aura about her that made it so tranquil.

The pair had been walking for about an hour. Kurumu shuddered at the freezing winds as they carried through the naked canopies as snow fell in and around them. The snow fall had grown heavier, and seemed to be distinctly following them. Tsukune was paranoid though. A witch can't control the weather can she? Maybe they had been right, Moka and Kurumu. Maybe he was worrying too much and not taking the time to let it go. Did he want to let it go though? Suddenly Kurumu collapsed at Tsukune's side.

"Kurono-san!" Tsukune said as panic gripped him.

The young blue-haired girl wrapped her arms around her body and trembled. He pinking skin was quickly turning pale and her lips were becoming a dark blue. She was rapidly falling into the first stages of hypothermia.

"Kurumu, hold on!" Tsukune shouted in alarm as he removed his jacket and fell to his knees, wrapping the warm layer over the girl and pulling her to his chest.

Kurumu shivered, but smiled when she heard her name on his lips. He really cared. The succubus looked up to Tsukune with her violet colored eyes. She had been foolish, and had not watched herself. She had become unguarded around the boy. There was something about him that made a succubus like her forget who she was. She should have taken his heart sooner, but she would have never forgiven herself had she forced the sweet young man into a relationship after he suffered such a terrible loss, but because of her stupidity she would end up making him suffer another loss much too soon.

What was happening? Why was the storm getting this bad? It was not natural, something was wrong. Tsukune could feel someone else watching them. It was not like _her _presences which clouded his nightmares and filled his senses. This was a heavier presence that was not so quickly realized.

"Who's there?!" The young man demanded as his ire rapidly escalated.

Kurumu fell slumped against his chest, as he too began to feel his body losing out to the cold.

"Kurumu-san! Please, don't fall asleep!" Tsukune shook her shoulders and sat her up in his frantic state.

Kurumu's eyes had hooded over. She weakly looked up to Tsukune. She felt a bit pathetic, but this is how life was sometimes. The young girl reached up and stroked her hand against Tsukune's cheek. Two glowing eyes watched the pair through the raging blizzard, which had separated the section of trail from the outside world. She did not want to let him die here though. He had shown her true kindness.

"Listen to me Tsukune…" The girl allowed herself to drop the honorific.

Tsukune felt his body stiffen. Her hands were ice cold, at least he thought so. The freezing air was quickly penetrating his body as well. Kurumu's eyes were quickly losing that bright vigor that they carried moments ago. She smiled and leaned forward to kiss Tsukune on the mouth. Tsukune stilled in shock, but the succubus parted as quickly as she pushed forward.

"There are a lot of things in the world we don't understand Tsukune, but you have to trust in the people that truly care for you, no matter who or what they are." The succubus pushed to her feet.

"Wait Kurumu-san!" Tsukune urged as he tried to stand, but he could not move.

He looked over to the snow covered ground. His foot was frozen to the ground. He looked up to Kurumu as the terror began to boil. Kurumu removed his jacket and held out her hands. Her tiny ears stretched out to pointed, elf-like tips. From under her skirt a long, purple tail extended and two massive, demonic purple wings extended from her back. Tsukune was stunned.

"I know you're there, come out!" The succubus demanded as she violently flicked her tail against the air.

Tsukune stared at the figure that hovered above him. The winds now painfully cut against his reddened skin and he found it harder to breath as the cold air made his lungs feel as if they would collapse. Tsukune blinked, hearing what sounded like footfalls crunch through the howling winds that ripped through the growing blizzard. He knew someone was there, but he could not see anything. It was like a sheet of ice was pulled up and around them. There was no visibility and Tsukune was quickly losing sight of Kurumu.

Then, there in the distance, he saw it: long, pale purple hair seemed to outline the figure of a woman as the tresses danced against the torrent of wind. Her skin was as white as the snow itself, and her eyes sparkled with the interweaving colors of an aurora. Her lips were as pink as cherries and she wore a pure, white yukata, its sleeves a pale mauve color. The sleeves swayed in favor of the violent winds as they ripped through the trail. Tsukune looked down, and gasped when he realized long claws of ice slowly extended from the sleeve of the strange woman's yukata. The blades of ice glittered and sparkled against the raging flurry.

"I won't let you hurt Tsukune!" The succubus yelled.

The woman held up her claws and smiled, almost manically. Tsukune felt his heart skip at the sight of her smile.

"No!" He called out when he realized Kurumu's words.

"Kurumu-san! No! Don't get yourself hurt because of me! Let's just run!" He refused to see someone else close to him get hurt.

He did not understand the situation at hand, but he knew that it did not matter, because he did not want to see his friend hurt. Kurumu was touched by his kind-heart. Even though she stood there, as the epitome of a demon, he still worried for her. Kurumu shook her head and allowed her claws to extend out.

"We can't escape, she put of a barrier of snow that keeps us in here." The succubus explained. "She's a yuki onna Tsukune." The blue-haired girl noted.

Tsukune looked up in disbelief. For those, especially those that lived in the mountainous areas of Nippon were aware of the old stories of snow maidens, which still flourished in this day and age. Yuki onna were famed creatures that appeared during snowstorms to kidnap men and force them into wedlock, only to have them freeze to death beforehand.

"No!" Tsukune shouted in disbelief.

How watched in horror as the aurora-eyed woman sauntered through the snow toward them. Her bare legs drug through the knee deep power as her body weaved side to side almost psychotically. Kurumu felt her strength rapidly draining, but she wanted to show him that it was all okay.

"Tsukune…" Kurumu softly called.

Tsukune looked up to the girl, his mind and his heart raced with the sheer horror and the dread of impending death. Why was he suddenly surrounded by death, or had he always been and acted ignorantly? Tsukune shook his head. He did not want to hear what she had to say. He was sure she would just try and protect him. The woman only wanted him, there was no need to try and save him. His heart was weak and he felt as if he wanted to die rather than watch those around him suffer.

"You can't die!" Kurumu shouted, almost as if she read his mind, but his subjugated gaze was enough for her to decipher his state of mind.

"You can't give up Tsukune! It isn't fair!" Kurumu accused.

Suddenly the yuki onna kicked off the ground and slammed her claws at the blue-haired demon. Kurumu slashed her claws in a cross motion through the air, forcing the ice maiden to jump back. A block of ice fell into the snow, and quickly sunk. Her nails and taken a chunk of the ice claws out, showing the ferocity of physical prowess the succubus held in her claws alone.

"Tsukune, if you die… the person that needs you the most will lose you." Kurumu shook her head as she fought back the tears, which were rapidly freezing against her cheeks.

"You have to run when you get the chance. You have to escape, because you aren't meant to die here. Tsukune, you're special and you are meant to do something important!" The succubus declared as the yuki onna charged her again.

"Get away from him!" The pale-skinned woman roared in indignation.

Kurumu fell to her knees as she held her claws over her head, bracing herself as the yuki onna's talons of ice bore down on her repeatedly.

"Tsukune!!!" Kurumu screamed, forcing the boy's attention.

"RUN!" You have no choice! Run!" Her shouts caught the ice maiden off guard and Kurumu took her chance and charged forward.

Kurumu flapped her freezing wings and managed to pull herself off the ground where she tackled the ice maiden, sending both of the young women through ha tree. The block of ice around Tsukune's leg vanished. Tsukuen squeezed his eyes shut. His body would not allow him to die here, not after hearing the girl's words. He did not believe himself o be a special person, but she was right. If he did die here, whoever it was he was tuly meant to save from something terrible was waiting for him.

He had experienced these things for a reason, Kami help him if he was going to escape. He pushed from the slurry of snow and ice and ran. The yuki onna watched in rage as her prey was escaping.

"Run Tsukune!" Kurumu screamed as she looked back to the young man.

The succubus turned back to her enemy only for a hand of ice to grab hold of her face. The ice slowly grew, and swallowed the succubus' face. The ice maiden was incensed her prey had escaped because of the officious youkai. Kurumu felt something warm on her stomach. Her violet eyes glanced down. The yuki onna had twisted one of her ice claws into a spike of frozen water and pierced the succubus' stomach. Kurumu was about to retaliate, and slash the pale-faced snow woman across her face, but the aurora-eyed maiden released the succubus' face and reformed her second claw of ice into a blade and slashed across the air.

Kurumu fell to her knees, and her head fell into the snow just beside her. A spray of red splattered over the fresh fallen snow, and into the air, soaking the newly falling snow. The white winds quickly filtered into raining red. The yuki onna smiled at the sight of what looked like beautiful spring sakura blossoms falling in the winter. She wanted to share this with that boy. The ice maiden glanced to the side. She could easily see his footfalls as they marred the blanket of powder with imperfections. The yuki onna slowly waded through the snow, leaving Kurumu's body to freeze.

Tsukune continued to run, not once did he look back, no his heart would not be able to take it. The blizzard has blocked out any and all light, filling the white with an eternal darkness that swallowed the young man's confidence whole. He was sure to die before the morning came, but his body would not stop, because it was sure it would live.


	11. Icy Kiss of Death

**Chapter XI: Icy Kiss of Death**

The young ebony-haired witch crunched her way through the heavy layer of snow, over to the freezing body of the succubus. All around the cherry colored snow was slowly changing back to white as a new layer of sleet blanketed across the rising hills of ice. Satoru landed on the wilting branches overhead and tilted his head to the side to allow his black eye to peer down at his master. His black, scaly talons were not ill affected by the cold weather and he easily gripped his claws around the snow-heavy brushwood. Ruby wore a heavy, dark grey shawl over her shoulders, and the excess cloth was pulled over her long tresses. Her onyx bangs danced against her forehead as the chilling winds licked against her pale, pinking skin. The succubus' body had only been exposed to the freezing air for two or three minutes but her skin was already a dark blue. Ruby knelt down in the cotton-soft powder and picked up the succubus' head, which had been half-buried in the white ash. The look of shock was frozen into the young girl's features. Never again would she smile, or laugh.

Ruby had felt for the girl's death. On the one hand she could not understand why she would endure such a tragic end to protect a human, but the same questioned would be carried to her situation. Why would a human sacrifice his safety for a stranger? The young witch had been watching from a distance. This girl was a youkai and had shown her true self to that boy, but he did not run in fear, instead his fear was angled toward the petite succubus' safety. Ruby felt the stinging pain of warm tears rolling down her freezing cheeks.

"Maybe he's not like them…" Ruby choked out as she hugged the girl's head to her chest.

Ruby had continued to question her reasons for wanting the boy dead, and this in turn led her to question her master's methods. She could never at upon these thoughts because her master would know. She always knew, but did Aono really deserve to die for protecting her? He continued to suffer and it was her fault. She was essentially torturing him. She was no better than her master it seemed. She thought of leaving the yuki onna to him. In that way he would die painlessly.

"I don't want him to die…" She sobbed as she hugged the decapitated head to her chest.

Her body shook with the thought of him dying and suffering any more. She had already been the cause for his companion's death, and she continued to feel the increasing, almost crushing guilt, in her heart. The very thought of him falling victim to anymore suffering made her wonder if it really did matter if Tsukune was human.

Why had she come to hate his kind?

*~~~~~~~~~*

"_Master?" Ruby was about thirteen, and had been living with her master for several years now after her parents' death._

_Though the young witch never forgot their faces, she often find herself unable to remember their voices and the many things they had taught her up until that point, though sometimes in her dreams she could visit those times. Ruby's master stood over looking a large construction site. A sign had been put up to enlighten those in the vicinity of the new construction and plans to clear a lot in the old sunflower field. _

_It was a multi-million dollar construction effort that would bring more people to the small, shied away town that was slowly growing into a city. A massive mall would be constructed in stages over several years, but unknown to the humans, people lived in the fields. Not that it would have mattered because the land had been bought out buy a company called Fairy Tale. They had been purchasing several plots of land throughout the district for reconstruction._

_The older witch looked over to her apprentice as the two stood in front of the sign that had been posted at the edge of their territory's boundary._

"_Is battle the only path humans and witches can take together?" The innocent young girl questioned. _

_At this time she had not yet grown to hate the humans, and simply abided by her master's rage. Ruby was angered by their selfish natures, but at the same time she was amazed by their culture. To be able to survive outside the woods and forests and without nature by your side was unfathomable to the young witch. They were almost like wild animals who built barriers around their land, shaping it, to protect themselves from predation. But what preyed on humans?_

_She had recalled a dream she had. She was surrounded by the sparkling lights of stars, only to be surrounded by the bright and noisy surroundings of a city. She could barely make out her father's laughing voice as he spoke indistinctly. Ruby looked up into her parent's smiling faces as they crossed the black, asphalt roads that seemed to line the city streets like dirt. She could hear her mother say something, but it was drowned out by a blaring horn._

_Her parents never saw the car. The driver was drunk and had jumped the curb. Her parents shielded her with their bodies. The memory made her shiver. She looked up to her master, who only continued to stare at the sign spitefully._

"_The only useful human, is a dead one. They have never done anything for us, or for nature. They only take what they want." The old witch spoke bitterly._

_Years had only allowed the old witch to grow even more hateful, the dark, harsh feelings clouded her heart and only worked to consume it until there was nothing left._

*~~~~~~~~~*

Tsukune shouted as his back was slammed into the trunk of an old maple tree. The ice maiden stood over him, staring down at him through her aurora-colored eyes. His shoulder was pinned to the tree by a spike of ice. His shoulder was bleeding heavily, running down his jacket arm and soaking the icy surface with red. Thankfully he could not feel anything except the stinging pain of cold racing through his injured shoulder.

"Why…?" Tsukune choked out as he gripped against the spear of frozen water and tried to rip it from his arm, but it was deeply embedded into the bark behind hm.

The pale-haired woman held up her ice claws and smiled. Her smile was empty and held no hint of emotion. She stopped in front of Tsukune. Tsukune looked up; his eye level only reached her knees in his current position nestled in the snow. He followed up her pale legs only to realize she was wearing little else than a yukata and possibly underwear. In this temperature any normal person would have frozen. He was barely able to stay conscious and he was wearing warmer clothing. She had to be a yuki onna. His mind reeled at the possibility.

"Why…?" The yuki onna said in her soft, raspy voice that barely carried over the dirge of wind.

The yuki onna chuckled darkly and knelt down so she was face to face with the young man. One of her ice claws took the form of a human's hand and she gripped at his chain, forcing Tsukune to look at her in the eyes. A bit of blood had been trickling down the young man's face but it had frozen to his chin in the below zero temperatures.

"Because I could not stand them." She finally responded, as her face inched closer to his.

"W-what?" Tsukune tried to pull his head from his grip but a numbing feeling filled his body as his legs were slowly frozen to the ground.

"Those other women. The way you looked at them, and not me." She chuckled as she forced her lips to Tsukune's mouth.

The black-haired young man protested and tried to shake his head. The young ice maiden pulled back, annoyed by his resistance. She slapped him across the face with her clawed hand. Tsukune grunted out in pain as the three lined marks across his cheek began to bleed. The snow woman held up her claws to show him the reality of the situation. His blood dripped down the claws as she looked to them with a hurt expression.

"Look what you made me do to your face… why are you refusing to accept my affections? You accepted theirs so easily." The young ice maiden said regretfully.

She had been following Tsukune for several days. She had just moved into the school dorms as well, but she had been too shy to approach him. She had seen him several times after with that pink-haired girl. It was clear she was not a human, but she was not fully sure _what _she was. When she died, the ice maiden has become excited. She could finally have the young man for herself, but when she saw him with that blue-haired whore, she grew enraged, jealous. It began to snow due to her unhampered, growing rage. The succubus had made it all too easy when she brought Tsukune to the woods for her…

"I will make you my boyfriend, and together we will be happy…" She laughed and raised her ice claw into the air.

"I'll make sure you can't get away…" Tsukune's eyes widened at her words because just than the ice encompassing his legs had crawled up to his chest and pinned him fully to the tree.

Tsukune released a scream of pain. It felt like his insides were being crushed and stabbed with needles at the same time. The yuki onna laughed but blinked. She felt killing intent. The snow woman whips around and throws out her arm, allowing a barrage of ice barbs to slam into the flesh of her enemy. The spears pierced with a sickening squish, indicating the yuki onna hit her target.

She blinked her aurora eyes, looking passed the swirling blizzard. Pinned to a tree, where she had shot the spikes toward was not a person, but a tentacle of some sort. There was a terrible sounding screech followed by a heavy motion. Whatever it was ripped its own limb off to pull off the tree. The yukia onna took a step back, but had not anticipated being flanked. A massive force slams into her ribs, sending her rolling across the field of snow before slamming into a tree.

The pale-skinned woman groaned and looked up. She was slammed into the tree the tentacle was fixed against. It was still wiggling wildly. The snow woman narrowed her eyes and froze the limb, before she looked up toward the figure in the snowstorm.

The figure laid almost belly on the ground. Its massive claws dug into the white, fluffy substance and its body was a dark green, insect-like carapace. It opened its enormous jaws roared out with an ear-piercing screech that showed off its impressive mouth full of serrated fangs. Along its fore arms and ankles were flower-like blossoms of pink and silver. Its long tail was a dark twist of green, pink and silver vines and it was obvious the end of the tail had been what was ripped off against the tree. The beast had no eyes, and no existence, except for killing intent.

The yuki onna had only heard stories of the creature. A hanabake, a man-eating plant that grew in warm weather before it is brought into the world as a powerful warrior. Its carapace was impenetrable, like steel. Hanabake were only born through slow cultivation, but this area did not have that kind of weather for that. Another way to make hanabake was to use a body as a vessel, in that way they would grow mature within hours.

The yuki onna was sure this was a rapidly matured hanabake.

While the hanabake dealt with the yuki onna, Ruby had rushed to Tsukune's aid. She dropped to her knees, the snow painfully dug against the bare flesh of her thighs as her stockings only went up to her knees. She pulled her shawl from her body and wrapped it around Tsukune. The witch placed her finger against the spike of ice embedded in his shoulder. Calling forth a small spell, steam began to rise from the point where her finger made contact with the ice, and melted it. She did the same to his legs and torso, slowly freeing him so his body would not go into shock from the sudden switch from cold to hot.

"Aono-san…onegai, get up." The witch begged as she pulled at the edges of her shawl and pulled the boy against her warm body.

She desperately sought to wake him; if he fell asleep his body could give out. She could hear the incoherent murmurs of his weakened and delirious state of mind. Tsukune could smell the familiar scent of lavender in the air. His eyes slowly fluttered open, only to find he was against someone's body. It was warm, and comfortable.

Tsukune's eyes snap open when he hears the roar of the hanabake and the scream of the yuki onna in the distance.

The yuki onna's meek attempts at defending herself with spears of ice were no good against a beast with such a thick carapace hide. The beast is also able to ingrain its roots and create and almost infinite number of vines to use at its disposal. For every one the yuki onna hacked down, two more rose in its place. Eventually the yuki onna was caught off guard and was captured by several twists of vines which wrapped around her ankles, wrists and neck. The hanabake lifted her from the ground and began to squeeze.

The yuki onna screamed as the hanabake pulled. With one final thrust of power the yuki onna was ripped to pieces, her blood poured into the snow, and pooled around the man-eating plant's feet where its ingrained roots absorbed the life-giving substance. The beast was not done with its prey though. Its vines twisted around her torn limbs and allowed the thin threads of green, pink and silver to dig into the ice maiden's flesh, sucking it dry of the remaining blood before an extra root looped around the torso.

The hanabake opened its massive mouth and engulfed the torso in one bite. When it bit down more blood sponged from the abdomen, which was immediately absorbed by the roots. When the monster plant was done it roared out.


	12. Contempt, Evermore

**Chapter XII: Contempt, Evermore**

The snowstorm began to die down now that the yuki onna was no longer holding the weather against the will of her jealousy. Tsukune felt his body slowly warming up as thin, gentle arms wrapped around his body. Tiny hands stroked against the fabric of his jacket, trying to warm him up faster. Tsukune's vision began to clear as the blizzard completely died down. His lungs struggled to take breath as he painfully coughed. His mind was slightly aware of the fact that he was against a female, but his body refused to deny the warming contact that was saving it from a numbing death. Tsukune instinctively wrapped his arms around the woman's body and pushed his face into her shoulder, seeking the warmth of contact.

He was shivering from head to two, it wrecked the witch's heart with a feeling she had not felt for a long time: regret. Tsukune sighed against her body. The scent of lavender filled his senses.

"Arigatou…" He murmured as his body collapsed from the stress.

Ruby squeezed her eyes closed and brushed her hand against his messy black hair. Above in the canopies, Satoru landed on the tree Tsukune and his mistress sat settled beneath. Under his talons he held his mistress' wand. The bird tilted its head and cawed softly as it looked up and watched as a pair of hanabake crunched on all fours through the knee-deep sleet. The monstrous plants hissed out and shook their heads. The one with pink and silver petals along its forearm sat on its haunches and panted out as it looked to the unconscious human in its mistress' arms. The second hanabake padded forward through the deep snow, just finishing off the meal of limbs it stole from its larger companion. This hanabake was the same green color as the first, but much smaller in size, indicating that it had not fully matured yet. Down its back were blue petals and its tail was a beautifully azure-colored appendage that mimicked the shape of a morning glory. It too hissed out at the sight of the unconscious, but not yet dead boy.

Ruby glared in the two's direction.

"You do not dare think of harming hm. You are my servants and no one else's, you are to obey me. Understood?" Ruby said in a soft tone of voice that was meant to be harsher.

The hanabake looked to each other and hissed again. Ruby felt tears pour from her eyes as she hugged Tsukune tightly.

"Don't you remember?" She asked the man-eating plants, who appeared to have no state of mind other than "eat".

Ruby squeezed her eyes, forcing the tears.

"He's Tsukune! You tried to protect him! Don't you remember him?!" She shouted in a cracking voice, causing the hanabake pair to wince and twist their heads ever so slightly.

The two stared at the young man and began to hiss out painfully, as if they understood. They scratched at the snow and shook their heads angrily at their memories. Ruby pressed her face into Tsukune's messy hair and shook her head.

"Listen to me!" She demanded of the beasts.

They halted their motions and turned their heads to the onyx-haired witch. It was difficult to tell if the beasts were looking at her as they had no visible eyes, only red orbs that sensed the light, along what would pass as their heads, but it was clear they were listening. Ruby wiped the tears from her eyes and stood to her feet, carefully pulling Tsukune's dead weight against her body. The pair of hanabake padded over to their master and lowered their bodies, allowing her to lay the unconscious boy over their stronger frames. Ruby spread her shawl over the boy's body to keep him warm in the frigid temperatures. Even with the yuki onna gone it was still dangerously cold. The young witch stroked Tsukune's hair, brushing it from his forehead.

"Listen…" Ruby began, the only ones listening to her were Satoru and the hanabake, but it was difficult to discern whether or not the demon plants had much understanding when it came to anything but their instinct, but they had shown Ruby there was still a semblance of what could be called a consciousness deep in their remaining existence.

"I…I'm sorry." She looked up to the hanabake and pressed her hand against the ends of their snout.

Tears streamed down the witch's cheek as she struggled to speak the words she had long since lost to the darkness of her activities. She knows now that it was something important, that memory she held of her parents. They wanted, more than anything, to live among the humans and for their kind to get along. This boy had shown her, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that he was a kind person that is willing to accept anyone regardless their nature. He was able to accept the vampire and succubus; he even tried to reason with the yuki onna that was trying to kill him.

If there was even a small chance that humans and witches could get along… she was sure Tsukune was that bridge. She could not bear the thought of losing this chance. She did not want to live in that darkness anymore. She just wanted to take care of him. Ruby looked up to the hanabake.

"I'm sorry for what I have wrought upon you. I can never restore you two to your true selves, but I hope that you can forgive me and help me protect Tsukune." The witch lowered her eyes and looked away.

"Master is planning to attack the city, the place that is supposed to protect Tsukune from all the dangerous of our world…" She glanced up and hugged the hanabakes' heads against her chest.

She felt as the tears continued to race down her cheeks. She pulled away from the two man-eating plants. They looked up to their master thoughtfully, soft hisses emanated from their bodies as their hands pressed into the tightly packed snow.

"Take Tsukune back to my room, quietly." The witch warned. "I will try and speak to my master and change her mind. I am sure she will understand, but until then, protect him." She added as she held out her hand and Satoru dropped the staff from his perch.

The witch allowed six, black wings to spread from her back. Tsukune groaned and let his eyes flutter open, against the chilling air that raked against his sensitized face. He was not dead. He survived somehow? His eyes were blurry, and his mind was disoriented. He attempted to push his weak body from the uneven surface he lay upon, but in vain. He collapsed once again, unknowingly settling against the back of the larger hanabake. He heard the flapping of a bird's wings. As his eyes fluttered around, trying their hardest to stay focused, he caught in the distance the sight he clearly recalled as the angel of death that had been chasing after him: the witch.

"She…saved me?" Tsukune's body gave in to sleep.

The hanabake hissed and shook their heads. The smaller one stood on its hind legs and perked its tail into the air, testing the winds. It fell to its belly and crawled away, choosing the direction because it strayed from the bitter kiss of the churning winds. The larger one, taking great care not to unsettle its passenger, followed its companion. The two hanabake _wanted _to protect the boy. It was not a simple matter of obeying their master. Remnants of their existence compelled the pair to carry him to safety and ignore their grown instinct to consume human flesh.

Soon Ruby was upon the manor. It tore at her completely that she had to disobey her master, but this was perhaps her only chance to save her master from the fate many witches served who were not able to change their ways.

The many who fought to protect the environment often met with persecution from the company known as Fairy Tale. Many witches were arrested for damaging property that belonged to the company, but had originally belonged to those who lived there in secrecy. Many of their kin, which had been arrested because of the company's interference, never returned. Those that did –only returned to warn those that stayed before disappearing into the memories of their friends and family. Ruby would save her master from this fate.

The hanabake had quickly returned as well and easily scaled up the manor walls into Ruby's open window. After haphazardly rolling the boy onto their master's bed from its back, the hanabake looked to its smaller companion who sat perched on the porch roof. Satoru cawed and soared into the room, settling himself on the top of the canopy bed's post. The two man-eaters hissed and crawled down into the sunflower fields, where they had sensed something familiar. As the two scurried through the field they were met with several human corpses that were seeded with the same demonic seed that gave them life.

The two began to hiss out, snapping their jaws together, as if pained by the sight, the horrible memory of their birth still carved into their souls. It was the only way, now that winter was approaching, to make more man-eating plants. They had to be rapidly matured, using corpses as vessels.

"What do we have here? Tools of the traitor?" A dark voice growled out from behind the two plants.

The hanabake turned and hissed at the figure. Ruby's master sneered at their defiance. The old witch should be able to easily control the hanabake, regardless of whether or not Ruby birthed them. It seemed Ruby's insolence knew no bounds. She would be punished. The old witch held out her hand, away from her cloaked body, revealing a magical tome. All around the unique pair of hanabake, several more man-eating plants slowly crawled from the thickets of sunflowers, yowling and hissing in agitation.

The large and small, uniquely colored hanabake pair stood back to back, hissing at their brethren. Ruby's master chuckled darkly.

"After I punish Ruby for her disobedience, I will make an example of that boy, who dared try and soil my precious apprentice." The master turned to walk away.

The unique pair of hanabake seemed enraged by her words and snarled violently as they barreled through several of their kin, bent on cutting through the old witch. The old woman grinned and turned to face the two man-eaters. The pair were stopped, inches from the old woman's face, as more man-eaters sprouted up in the place of their cut down kin, and subdued the pair.

"Shred them." The old witch ordered as she turned, and made her way to the manor.

The man-eaters obeyed and ripped at their traitorous kin. The pair desperately fought back. Both looked up toward the manor and gazed longingly at Ruby's window. The two were soon overwhelmed and mowed down by the man-eaters. Satoru hand settled on the windowsill. He watched as the two monsters were torn to shreds. The intelligent bird jumped and twirled so he was not facing Tsukune, who lay unconscious on Ruby's bed, her grey wool shawl splayed over his body. The young man groaned and the bird tilted its head. It looked around the room, before fluttering over to Ruby's commode. The black-feathered bird scuffled along the top, his longs talons clicking with his teetering motions.

Downstairs, Ruby searched the manor for her master. The older woman was no in her study, or her bedroom. The young witch desperately searched the dark, twisting corridors of the old home until she made her way to the kitchen. Ruby held her hand to her chest in worry.

"Where are you master…?" Ruby called in concern for the old woman.

Ruby whipped around, having heard low creaking sound carry from the old screen door in the dark, candle-lit space that was the kitchen. Ruby had lit up, happy her master returned, but becomes crestfallen when she sees it had just been the wind playing against the door. Now tha Ruby thought about it it was extremely chilly in the house. It was terrible weather to leave the cold air to float into the home.

"She can get sick…" Ruby's worry gripped at her chest.

Had her master been out in this terrible air? The snow had filled the flower field with a blanket of white and had left a very empty feeling. Ruby was very aware of the fact that they were both _very _alone.

"Oh, worried about me Ruby?"Ruby twirled around to the kitchen's entrance to see her master standing behind her, staff and tome in hand.

The old witch used the want as a cane, so she could support her weary body, but Ruby was unsure of why she had her tome with her. Had she already begun the process of raising the hanabake field?

"Master I—!" Ruby was unable to finish her sentence when she felt her master's freezing hand against her cheek.

The young apprentice felt guilt seize her. How could she have left her master alone, to the cold? Her master smiled, but then the smiled was replaced with a scowl. The old woman shifts her grip and roughly grab's Ruby's hair as long vines twist out from under her cloak and wrap tightly around the young woman's body.

"Iya! Master! Wait!" Ruby cried out in pain as her mistress held the vines to squeeze around Ruby's body, binding her arms to her sides and forcing her legs apart.

With wand in hand the young girl struggled to breathe. She looked at the ire that boiled behind her master's eyes.

"How dare you betray me and fail to kill that human boy, only to bring him here again." The old witch accused.

Ruby struggled against the vines, whimpering in fear of not only what may happen to her, but Tsukune. She should have known better than to bring him directly back, but she could not let him freeze to death in the wilderness.

"P-please master." Ruby begged. "I can't breathe." The young woman complained, only to be slammed to the floor.

"I will need to punish you, than I will make that boy that has tainted my apprentice, an example to the entire human race." The old woman walked toward the basement and opened the door.

Ruby gasped. She knew what would happen to her down there. She began to struggle.

"Please Master! Wait! There doesn't need to be any more violence!" Ruby began to panic.

Her master hissed and slammed Ruby against the wall.

"Can't you see that humans are poison? Ever since you have come in contact with that boy he has tainted you, dirtied you. Now you disobey me at every turn! Can't you understand that I hate humans?! The humans that killed your parents?!" The old woman shouted as Ruby whined out in pain. "I raise you as my own daughter… and this is how you repay me? Well no more." The elder witch carried Ruby into the darkness of the basement.

The young woman screamed as the door slammed shut.


	13. Torturous Edge

(A/N: Thus far in this story you all have read countless depictions of murder, gore and cruelty. This chapter depicts acts of torture and inappropriate acts committed to a female's body. Please be warned, do not read if you are weak of heart. If you wish to skip ahead use Ctrl+ F to jump to the scene breaker: *~~~~~~* , Thank you and you have been warned, I will ignore all complaints concerning if you were emotionally/mentally scarred by the scene.)

* * *

**Chapter XIII: Torturous Edge**

"Iya! Master! Onegai!" Ruby screamed as she frantically fought against her mistress.

The old witch carried the young woman down into the dark recesses of the basement. The air was heavy with the stale stench of dried blood and human waste. It was a stifling air; one Ruby was not used to. Her lungs fought to forcibly expel the acrid taste that burned against her nose and throat. Each time she coughed out the vines would tighten around her, making it more difficult to breathe. The vines tightly wrapped around the girl's torso and made it nearly impossible to shift her weight as she was suspended in the air. She had no means of discerning up from down as she was jostled about, only to feel herself finally settle against the ground. The vines loosened and slowly retracted back beneath the old witch's cloak.

Ruby coughed out and allowed her hands to lay flat against the ground to support her body. She slowly grew used to the horrid stink, but with that came her awareness. It was dark, so her body compensated by allowing her other senses to intensify. It was quiet, so much so that Ruby could feel her ears ringing. As she concentrated on trying to regain her bearings, she would catch the sound of a dripping pipe somewhere deep in the basement. She quickly pulled her hands away from the cold, damp floor. She had recalled from the last time she was down here. The thought made her shiver, knowing what was now spread across her hands. The slick, gritty feeling made bile settle in her esophagus as she desperately pushed down the feeling.

The young witch was not given a moment to wipe the degrading filth from her hands as her master took one of her wrists and yanked her across the ground, further exposing Ruby's skin to the grim and remnants of former victims of her master's hatred. Ruby winced in pain as her master cuffed her wrists to the old, rusted chains that hung off the wall. The old witch than tugged down the threads of rusted barbed wire that sat curled against the base of the chains and wrapped them down around Ruby's wrists and forearms. It was twisted in such a way that whenever the ebony-haired woman moved or shifted it would poke against the fabric of her arm covers and dig into the soft flesh of the undersides of her forearms. Ruby shifted uncomfortable, pulling her knees together as she bit back her ever-encompassing thoughts. Ruby tried not to make noise; she knew if she did her punishment would only be that much worse, but it was so hard when every breath caused the rusted points of barb to scratch up and down against the more sensitive areas of her skin and the knowledge of the filth that settled against the skin of her legs would never wash out, ever.

After the old witch was done tying the supports, Ruby's arms were now hung out away from her body, far above her head and against the wall in a 'Y' position. Her arms were the only thing supporting her low-to-the-ground body as her knees barely scraped against the muck-covered, stone-cold ground. Chills darted up the young woman's body as she heard her master, more felt her, turn toward the table top where she kept her tools. The old witch lit a small candle wick that has already been melted down to its base. The wax was all but frozen in time as the substance dribbled from its holder, its life being reignited by the almost white, burning flame. Ruby winced at the sudden flare of light. As small as it seemed, in the pitch black depths of the underground storage room, the tiny candle was painfully bright.

The master picked up a small, blood-stained carving knife. Ruby turned her head away at the sight. She knew what was next. Her master pushed her hand against Ruby's left breast, moving the mound of flesh slightly, to allow her access to the cords of Ruby's corset that run down the front of her chest. One by one the strings were hacked away by the dull tool. Ruby tried to fight the nervous spasms when the tip of the cold steel blade grazed against her quickly sensitizing flesh. The old witch slowly pulled down the faded pink corset and opened the girl's pale skin to the elements. Ruby felt as goose bumps crawled against her skin in both fear and the icy caress of the chilled air that settled in the basement. All along Ruby's torso were cross-hatched slashes from older sets of punishments she had received. They were fully healed, so now were nothing more than raised, patterned flesh.

Ruby whimpered and bit back a cry of anticipation when she saw her master pick up the whip that sat coiled on top one of the various crates, which were piled all along the basement walls. The older woman froze and looked over to Ruby. The young witch instantly knew she had done wrong.

"It seems you prefer _that _first." The old witch spoke with a visible scowl on her features.

Her master set the whip down and picked up, instead, a small silver bladed knife that she always kept sharp. Ruby began the cry in a low, pathetic whisper. The whip would have been merciful. She knew now she held no chance of keeping her consciousness this time around. It was always the same it seemed. She could never stay quiet and just take her punishment.

Her master slapped the young woman across, forcing her to cry out.

"Do not act as if you did not wish this." The old woman pressed the blade to the flesh of Ruby's chin.

"If it did not hurt than you would not learn." The witch insisted. "If I did not discipline you, than who would?" She questioned aware that Ruby had nowhere else to go, regardless of her situation here.

That is what the old woman wanted. Ruby would never abandon her place at the knoll. The onyx-haired woman's face was flushed with the strangling fear that struck violently in her chest. She idly wondered if she could run away with Tsukune, but after this… would she have the strength to? Ruby's left shackle was suddenly unlocked and the young woman struggled to hold herself up, only to swing toward her right and grip against the only chain that remained to help her support herself, albeit awkwardly. Her left hand wrapped around the chain, only to bury her palm into the barbed wire that wrapped around the steel links as the barbed wires around her left forearm now cut into her flesh, forcing her dark, warm blood to slowly trickle down along her arms and down her back. The wire was still attached to left length of chain, so when Ruby had moved it had painfully cut deeper into her flesh. The cutting itself did not hurt as badly as the now open wounds which burned as if fire licked at her skin.

Ruby's back now faced the old woman and Ruby's bare chest pressed against the stone wall she hung from. Her master threaded fingers through Ruby's thick, onyx hair, causing the bound witch to involuntarily shiver at the contact. The master than gripped a handful of the silky, black hair in her hands and pulled it up and out of the way, harshly. Ruby whimpered from the pain that now dug into the roots of her hair.

Along the pale flesh just beneath Ruby's shoulder blades were long vertical cuts that traced along the underside of the shoulder blade's bone. Blood continued to stream from her forearms, following the line of lithe, perfectly shaped muscle down her back and stopping at the edges of her skirt. Ruby squeezed her eyes shut and sucked in a breath when she felt the sharp tip of the blade press against the very edge of the visible scar tissue at her shoulder blades. From the way the wound was healed, it was obvious that it had been repeatedly cut into, disallowing proper repair of the tissue. Then the young witch felt it. The tip of the blade thrust into the scar tissue and began to slowly drag down against the red, scaled over flesh.

Ruby cried out and pushed her body forward, against the brick and mortar of the wall. The pain from the wire digging into her wrists and forearms were soon dulled out by the mind-shattering pain from having the blade reopen her already sealed wounds. With her senses now overloaded, due to the pain, she could feel as the blade slowly inched down, digging deep enough to spread apart layers of epidermis straight down to the second layer of skin, just between the fat and surface: the dermis. It was like carving into chicken. Her skin was a pale color but the deeper you went the pinker it became and more and more blood would ooze from the wound as Ruby fought not to release the scream that filled her lungs to capacity. She was still alright, but if this continued the shock would set in and she would lose consciousness.

The young witch felt that she needed to somehow fight back. She had to stay awake; she had to survive this, because than Tsukune would be alone to suffer the wrath of her master, but the pain was quickly becoming too much when her master began on the second scar.

*~~~~~~~~~*

Tsukune's eyes fluttered open and he shot up into a sitting position. His disoriented mind slowly gathered itself and allowed his lucid consciousness to take over.

"Where am I?" He groaned as he looked around and inspected the all too familiar surroundings.

Tsukune was shocked by the familiar, low sounding caw of a raven. The young boy turned his head, but when he moved he felt the shawl unsettle in his lap. He reached down and touched at the unfamiliar object. When he pulled it from his lap, a recognizable lavender scent that seemed to fill the room, permeated from the wool object in hand. Tsukune swallowed when he realized that he really was back. He looked over to the commode, the large raven he had seen several times before sat perched on the dresser's edge, holding something in its beak.

Tsukune carefully pushed from the bed, trying his hardest not to squeak the metal springs of the mattress. He walked over to the dresser drawers and slowly lifted his hand to pet the bird.

"H…hey. What do you have there?" he nervously asked, hoping the small avian would not attack him when he reached for the object.

It appeared to be a piece of paper. When Tsukune scratched at the bird's head and pulled the square paper from its hold, he realize d that the picture frame that once decorated the commode had been knocked over and unlocked to allow the picture to be slid out. Had the bird done that? Were ravens that smart and meticulous? Tsukune continued to pet the willing bird and looked to the familiar picture. He turned the image around out of curious human habit.

He had not been expecting to find a date and short message scribbled on the back of the picture.

Before Tsukune was given the chance to relax he heard an ear-piercing scream from the first floor of the manor. It had sounded like that girl. Satoru became agitated and flapped its wings, startling Tsukune into dropping the picture to the floor. The raven kicked off the dresser and flew to the door, which was closed. He squeaked at it and pecked the door impatiently. The bird landed on the floor and turned to face Tsukune, as if the animal expected him to…

"No…" He stammered as he took a step back. "S…she wants me dead." He argued, mostly to himself.

But she had _saved _him. Why? He wondered to himself, not entirely sure on how to approach the situation. Then he felt his heart twist.

_What if she dies?_

Something asked him. She tried to kill him! He was only trying to reassure his cowardice.

_They died because you couldn't do anything!_

No! It wasn't his fault! He did not know…

_Now you do know…something is wrong._

Tsukune shook his head; Satoru impatiently cawed at the young man as Tsukune clawed away at his own thoughts.

"_**Tsukune, if you die… the person that needs you the most will lose you." Kurumu shook her head as she fought back the tears, which were rapidly freezing against her cheeks.**_

"_**You have to run when you get the chance. You have to escape, because you aren't meant to die here. Tsukune, you're special and you are meant to do something important!"**_

Kurumu and Moka…they had suffered because of him. Tsukune looked to Satoru as the large raven meekly pecked at the door's frame and scratched at it with his talons. Tsukune swallowed and squeezed his eyes shut. If he did not help her…who would?

Tsukune made his way to the door and pulled it open. Satoru jumped into the air and flew down to the first floor and into the kitchen. Tsukune quickly followed the bird.


	14. Samhain

**Chapter XIV: Samhain**

With the influence of the yuki onna now gone from the city, the downpour of snow had become nothing more than dirt-rolled muck on the side of the roads. The snowy trenches of the sunflower fields were quickly pushed away as more and more hanabake rose from their corpses as the chilly air of the ocean breeze carried from the coast. Though the city was filled with its bright lights and busy streets, the skies were coated in a blanket of darkness as clouds filled the autumn heavens. Bellowing roars rolled across the lands as the dead fertilized the earth with their blood, allowing grotesque, misshapen fiends to be born in their place. The cries of agony carried over the blaring activity that flooded the inner city. People stop as animals bay into the starless skies. Their bodies and minds are wracked with uncertainty as the dead holler out, demanding retribution. Many heed to their fears and rush to the shelter of their homes, but many refused to believe in nonsense such as witches.

Assured their task at mercilessly killing their hanabake brethren succeeded: the man-eating plants shrieked into the sky. They called upon their newly risen kin and ushered a gathering of blood. The swarm of monstrous beasts took to marching into the leafless woods and swarmed toward the hapless, unaware city. There in their wake lay the shredded corpses of the pink and blue hanabake. Their arms lay attached by filaments of plant matter to their badly mauled bodies. The salty winds brush over the fallen pair as they hiss weakly. They now lay alone in the field, broken and battered. The larger, pink-petal-covered plant turned its head to its smaller companion. It reached out its fingers, brushing against the muzzle of the weeping one. It gave consent and relinquished its strength. The larger beast allowed its fingers to elongate. As the digits lengthened the tips sharpened into points. With a quick flick of its wrist the larger hanabake pierced its talons into the head of the smaller one, who merely hissed at the contact. The vines acted like parasites and dug into the flesh of the smaller beast's skin. Soft tissue rose in the areas which the vines invaded: down its neck, spine and into what remained of its limb's attachments. The larger plant pulled itself closer to the smaller one, who also began to crawl toward its companions. The two shrieked in low, agitated tones. After a moment of looking toward the other, they turned their heads and sunk their fangs into the other's respective shoulder.

*~~~~~~~~*

Tsukune made his way across the sitting room. There, in the fireplace, sat a dying flame, the bellowing winds stir the weakening blaze to dance as winds rush down the chimney and into the lifeless room. The grey walls seemed to close in as the windows creaked with the howling gusts of air. A grandfather clock stood in the corner wall that separated the kitchen from the sitting room. According to its face it was seven hours until dusk, though at first glance it was irrelevant, but Tsukune felt unsettled knowing what tonight was.

Satoru landed on the back of a sitting chair, one that stood closest to the fireplace. The bird's feathers reflected the low amount of ginger light beaming from the window. Tsukune glanced up, following the stray specks of orange lighting, only to be startled when he saw the face of a jack-o-lantern staring him back. The gourd's grinning face taunted the young man in his hopeless situation. The raven cawed softly, pulling Tsukune's attention from the ominously alluring lantern. The bird hopped off its perch and soared into the kitchen. Tsukune cautiously followed the creature. It has shown great intelligence so far, and the boy wondered if he belonged to the woman. What amazed him the most, or perhaps frightened him, was that the manor, as large as it was: was empty. Save for the raven and the dying embers of a seemingly abandoned fireplace, there were no signs of life in the old house.

Tsukune looked around the old kitchen. It looked lived in, but still very lonely. Did she live here by herself? No someone else was here, he could feel it. There was a scent of another person. There was an obvious fragrance of vanilla in the air, a very warming scent, but there was also a second smell. It sickened him, even though he was not wholly sure what this second aroma was. He jumped back when he heard a soft thumping sound. He frantically searched for the source, only to realize it had been the back door. He walked toward the door, wondering if perhaps the scream had come from outside. It looked as if someone had left and had forgotten to lock it back. Tsukune carefully reached for the screen door's handle. Satoru watched the boy from his perch. The beady-eyed bird had settled on the edge of the grim-coated sink. Unwashed dishes from an earlier meal lay discarded among utensils and glassware.

Tsukune felt as if he was trapped in a perpetual nightmare. All around him people were dying, and it was his fault. His grip tightened on the metal handle of the screen door at the thought. He would never be able to go home, lest put his parents in danger. These fields were so deceptively beautiful, yet they held a terrible secret that he wished he never discovered. He felt as tears stung at his eyes as he thought about the last words Kurumu had spoken to him. It was destiny right? It was fate that his friend was brutally murdered in a restroom, her body inexplicably disemboweled and drained of its blood. The thoughts only made his body shake. Satoru jumped onto the counter and waddled along the edge. Tsukune looked over to the bird. He nodded to himself as he locked the door and walked over to the countertop and laid his palms flat against the surface, leaning his weight. The black-feathered bird looked up at him and tilted his head slightly.

"It was fate that I met someone unbelievable." Tsukune muttered as his memories carried over to the thoughts of Kurumu.

She was no human, but neither was she a monster. Someone had to be the cause of all this. Someone had to be the blame for these tragedies, his pain. Why did it hurt so much? He did not know the girl, for all he knew she could have been the cause. The young man considered the past few days as he dug through some of the drawers of utensils at hand. He had only ever seen her in his dreams and memories. He had left her behind in that forest trail three days prior. She could not be to blame.

He had been returned here somehow to protect her. Kurumu had told him there was a reason he was alive, because he did not want to die.

"No…they all died." Tsukune muttered to himself as he pulled out a carving knife from the drawer and slammed it closed. Tsukune chuckled sadly as he looked to the raven.

"I've been surrounded by such kind friends that I have grown naïve." Tsukune tested the sharpness of the knife against his own finger.

He wanted to be sure that he was still awake and had not succumbed to this nightmare that was his reality.

"I…I didn't know what was going on at all…" he thought back to the photograph he saw in the young woman's, no, the witch's room.

_We should always try and understand each other, so than we can become friends._

It was scribbled in such a smooth, caring script, as if it had been meant to be held to heart. He deeply regretted not acting sooner.

"Please forgive me everyone. I'll make up for everything." He swore as he stood up straight.

Satoru hopped on Tsukune's shoulder as the young man turned around. Ruby's screams carry up from the basement, to Tsukune's ears. Satoru cawed and flapped his wings, shifting on the unstable perch that was Tsukune's shoulder. The young, black-haired male made his way to the basement.

*~~~~~~~*

"Do not fear Ruby… your punishment shall not be in vain." Her master assured her as she collected Ruby's blood into bottled filled with germinated sunflower seeds.

Ruby sobbed and trembled, her skin was growing pale and her mind fought to stay conscious, lest she actually die this time from shock.

"With this we will grow more soldiers and rid this planet of that filth." The old woman laughed as she roughly dug her finger into Ruby's open wounds, forcing them to hold a continuous flow.

The old woman was unaware of the figure standing at the top of the steps, the sounds of the opening door blotted out by Ruby's screams.

"P-please Master…." The woman sobbed as her pale form was illuminated by the candlelight. Tsukune's russet eyes held an almost amber color in the soft glow of light, his shadow swallowed by the darkness of the upper steps.

He watched as Ruby cried and begged. Lines of drying blood stained her torso and back. Her skirt had been harshly yanked down to reveal her bare butt and scarred thighs. His eyes left the tortured form of the woman and landed on the hunched figure of the demon that plagued her. Her body was shielded from the bitter cold of the basement by a heavy black cloak that barely outlined her crumpled visage. The knife in her hand became like a decrepit talon in the darkness and her laugh, like the screeching hail of a bat. Tsukune gritted his teeth and held tightly to the handle of the knife. Her screams made it real. Her cries of terror, her pleadings—each one was a cut to his heart. Is this how Moka cried in the end? Did Kurumu feel pain? Did the yuki onna understand her ill-deeds? They were not monsters. They did not knowingly hurt others while they begged for mercy while they clearly suffered.

It was this demon's fault.

_Akuma._

Tsukune thought as he slowly walked down each step. Outside the winds intensified. It sounded as if claws scraped against the wooden tiles of the manor. Metal gardening tools rang as they were hurtled from their place of rest, but at this point Tsukune could only hear the blood rushing passed his ears as his heart thundered in his chest.

Suddenly all stilled. The winds silenced allowing the rush of sirens and screaming to be carried across from the city as the hordes of hanabake swarmed the human nest and killed anyone who did not safely shelter themselves in the brick and steel towers covered by glass. The police defended their city, but for every human to fall prey to the man-eaters, whatever was not consumed was seeded and forced into the ranks. Their feeding allowed for rapidly germinating seeds to grow just as quickly as they were laid. The blood nourished the plants, the blood fed them.

The old witch turned around. Her dark eyes met the russet eyes of the young man. Ruby's panting gasps were accompanied by the soft chirping caws of Satoru. The bird was clearly agitated as it strafed along Tsukune's left and right shoulders. The crazed witch turned to fully face the human male. She set down the glass bottle and slowly set the knife down. Her hand carefully shuffles over the desk as she reaches for her tome.

"So it was you…you are the one who has tainted my precious Ruby." The old witch chuckled out as she grinned.

Her mouth appeared to be full of fangs and as her whitish-grey bangs fell over her dark eyes.

"It seems you have foolishly chosen to stay at the Witch's Ranch rather than escape." She grinned at the thought.

Tsukune had stilled and only stared into the woman's eyes. They were the eyes of a murderer. She did not cry for what she has done to…Ruby? Is that her name?

"Did you come here to become my food soldier?" The witch chuckled as small vines fell from the arms of her cloak. Tsukune's eyes glanced down at the weeds apathetically, than looked back into the elder witch's eyes. The woman grinned and held up her hand, allowing more vines to grow from her fingers and crawl from beneath her nails.

"No matter." She mused. "We will exterminate them all and force humans understand who the superior race is truly." She chuckled and held her hand over the gem that centered over the tome.

"My precious plants have all grown to maturity, and are destroying your precious city as we speak." The elder explained.

"No!" Ruby cried out as she turned her head, only to be surprised by the sight of Tsukune.

Tears spilled from the young woman's eyes.

"Run Tsukune-san!!!" Ruby screeched, earning her a slap from her master.

"You make me sick!" The elder shouted as she struck Ruby again.

Tsukune merely watched. After a moment he continued down the steps. The old witch looked over her shoulder and grinned manically.

"Foolish human, die already!" The old master shouted as she threw out her hand and forced the vines that wrapped around her wrists and grew from her skin to be launched at Tsukune.

Tsukune neither moved nor flinched, as the sharp-as-steel tendrils cut into his shoulder and slashed across his face. Satoru had flew off the boy and perched on a rafter high in the ceiling. The bird angrily cawed at the old woman. Ruby looked to Tsukune and shook her head.

"Please Tsukune-san." Ruby begged in her broken voice. "It was my fault. I hurt your friends. I hurt you… please. Run away." Her hoarse voice cried.

Tsukune looked up and stared directly into Ruby's lavender eyes: the same eyes that haunted his nightmares. He realized it was not because they were frightening, but for the reason that they were always full of tears. Ruby felt her heart jump at the gaze he sent her. The old witch's eyes widened. Standing behind Tsukune, hunched at the entranceway of the basement: was an enormous hanabake. The beast pushed against the framework of the door, tearing it down so it could fit its massive body through the entrance. Its skin was now a deep crimson. Its mouth dripped with poisonous green ooze and its claws ended in sharp claws which scraped at the masonry of the walls. Feathers of flower petals of black and grey covered the length of its forearm and down its spine. At the end of its tail was a bright purple flower that was reminiscent of the blossom of a Wolf's Bane.

The beast soon stood over Tsukune's small form. Its foreclaws gripped into the stone walls on either side of it as its talons relentlessly dug into the wood of the steps, splintering them with the force of its hold. Ruby looked in horror. She had never seen a hanabake like that before. She tried to move but cried out in pain. Tsukune furrowed his brows sadly as the beast's breath hovered just against his ear.

"Ruby-san…" Tsukune called softly.

Ruby and her master looked up at the bleeding young man who calmly stood with the hanabake drooling behind him. Whatever it was it was still a man-eater. The old witch grinned at this. She could control plants; plant manipulating magic was her specialty. One hundred years of life has given her a mastery that stood above all others.

"Ruby-san is suffering." Tsukune said as he gripped against the vine embedded in his left shoulder.

The old witch sneered at the young man and pulled the vines back to try and drag him down, but to her shock he did not budge. She looked up to see that the hanabake had wrapped its tail around the boy, steadying him.

"All this hate…she must be in so much pain." Tsukune looked over to Ruby who began to sob in shame.

Her head dropped as she allowed her body to hang. There was no longer pain, only a numb, empty feeling. Tsukune smiled as the hanabake gripped to the walls and crawled over Tsukune, and removed its tail from his waist.

"Instead of all this suffering, we should try and understand each other… so we could be friends." He recalled the photograph from earlier.

Ruby's eyes widened as the memory struck her.

*~~~~~*

_She was surrounded by the sparkling lights of stars, only to be surrounded by the bright and noisy surroundings of a city. _

"_The lights! They twinkle just like stars!" She cheered as she tightly held her father's hand, holding her wand in the other._

_She smiled at the sound of her father's laughing voice as he spoke._

"_Hahaha, seems like you love it already."_

_Ruby looked up into her parent's smiling faces as they crossed the black, asphalt roads that seemed to line the city streets like dirt._

"_Ruby…" Her mother called softly as they crossed. "If one day…both witches and humans can live together, wouldn't that be great?" The young woman looked down to her daughter's sparkling face._

_She could hear the happiness in her mother's voice, but it was drowned out by a blaring horn. Her parents had pushed her out of the way. They had been shopping as a family, and the car had jumped the curb and hurtled toward them. She had held a hatred toward the humans and the city ever since._

*~~~~~~~~~*

She did not want to hold the hatred though. Her mother and father would have never wanted that for her.

"How dare you betray me in the favor of that insolent human!" The witch growled out at the plant.

The beast hung from the rafters above and hissed at the old woman. Her eyes widened at the feeling of the familiar aura.

"You're that one… no, you're those two from earlier." The woman grimaced.

Ruby gasped in surprise. The young witch squeezed her eyes shut. She did not have the strength of her master's manipulation but she had one thing the old woman did not.

"No…master Yukata…They're not monsters…" Ruby gasped out as shock was finally settling in. "They're not a thing… Samhain is… she is our friend." Ruby's eyes fell closed as she blacked out.

"No…" Her master growled as Samhain roared out. "Nothing will stop me!! The city, the humans… everything I hate will be destroyed!!" The old witch laughed, her victory ensured to her as the sounds of torment carried from the city.

* * *

(A/N: Samhain's image in profile)


	15. Scourge

**Chapter XV: Scourge**

Samhain screeched and dropped to the ground, knocking the old woman off her feet. The beast hissed and whipped its tail about, knocking over the crates against the wall and the tools from the table. Yukata threw out her hands and spread a webbing of vines around Samhain, but the beast stood up on its hind legs and grabbed the tendrils. Samhain then kicked out its leg and slammed its clawed foot into the witch's stomach. When the crates collapsed they splintered and some broke open from the force of the fall. Tsukune glanced over to the crates. He climbed down the last step and knelt down as Samhain tackled the old woman into ground. It pinned her arms and legs down. Her tome was ripped from her hand by the force of her fall.

Satoru landed on top of one of the crates and tilted his head. Though dark, Tsukune could easily make out the outlines of the body parts that filled the crates to the rim. Yukata used the body parts to house the seeds for germination. It was this that left the stench of death and decay constantly lingering in the room. It was this that Tsukune could scent mixed with the smell of vanilla. After the seeds were gathered from the fields they would be put into a body part and given special mix of herbs and preservative oils that Yukata had learned over her master and carried over a lifetime. The seeds would slowly grow and hold a stage of stasis until they were planted and fed blood and carrion.

"Disgrace!!" Yukata shouted as she threw Samhain off her.

Vines and roots ripped through the brick and mortar of the basement and wrapped around the beast's wrists and legs, pulling it up and off the ground. Samhain screeched in warning as it struggled to pull itself free. Tsukune looked up at the old woman but shifted his attention to Ruby. He rushed over to her aide. He was appalled by the way she was strung up like a straw effigy. Satoru dropped on the table and picked up a pair of sheers in its beak.

"I'll show all of you…" The old witch hissed as she bent over and picked up her discarded tome.

Tsukune took the sheers and cut the barbed wires from Ruby's wrists before finally unscrewing the nut that held the cuffs in bruising pressure around her wrists. The tome exploded with light that blinded Tsukune and startled Satoru. The bird cawed and flew away. Vines shot at the bird as it tried to escape but he made it up and out of the basement with relative ease. Tsukune caught Ruby's body as her dead weight fell against him.

"I will punish your crimes and—"

"STOP!!!" Tsukune screamed interrupting her crazed speech.

"Enough…" He sobbed as he pulled Ruby's cold body against his warm one. "Is this your idea of punishment? All this death and destruction?" Tsukune chuckled as he met Yukata's crazed look with one of his own.

The old witch was shaken for a moment, but laughed.

"Foolish human, just take your punishment and be devoured!" Yukata laughed as the jars full of seeds exploded and the germinated pits began to rapidly grow into plants.

_**Giiirraa!**_

Samhain hissed as it whipped out its tail. With a fluid motion the bound hanabake managed to lash the tome from Yukata's hands. The book fell into the bloody liquid and the plants began to tear away at it as their violent flails and screams of growth increased. The vines around Samhain's limbs withered away and died. The beast fell to the ground and slashed its own wrist, flicking the spray of iridescent blue blood into the growing batch of infantile man-eaters.

*~~~~~~~~*

In the city, the man-eaters began to screech in pain. When the tome was destroyed the pants originally born from Yukata's powers began to wither away, but all those born after, seeded in the city: remained, though their rampaged stopped and they looked around as if searching for a command. Realizing their chance the army pushed forward, mowing down the monstrous plants with flamethrowers and napalm.

*~~~~~~~~~*

_We will protect Tsukune. We will protect Tsukune. We will protect Tsukune._

It was all that went through Samhain's broken mind which was filled carnage and feeding.

_**Protect Tsukune, kill enemy, kill, kill.**_

Samhain's voice spoke out loud through the guttural rolls of hisses and snarls. The beast's claw squeezed around the witch's neck as she struggled to speak, struggled to breathe. Tsukuna pushed to his feet, scooping Ruby in his arms. He turned his back to the fiend and began up the steps. Samhain watched as he walked, and paused. Tsukune looked back to the crimson-colored hanabake.

"I trust you." Tsukune smiled at the beast and went upstairs.

Yukata struggled to curse the boy but the door was slammed closed, leaving the old woman trapped down there with the fiends. A blood curdling scream ripped from the old woman. The candle danced at the hanabake's harsh motion as a sickening splattering sound tore across the room; the old witch's blood now decorated the aged brick. The dim light of the candle was soon swallowed by the growing forms of the new man-eaters. A gust of wind kicked through the broken walls of mortar and blew the lone source of light out.

*~~~~~~~~~~*

It was like a reverse of roles. Tsukune stood over Ruby, carefully wrapping her torso in bandages, tending to her more severe wounds. He was too wrought with guilt and terror at each mark he passed over with gauze to consider her naked flesh. The most apparent wounds were on her back. She was truly a fallen angel. The vertical scarring along her shoulder blades looked as if someone had cut off her wings. He was worried though. He was not sure how much blood she lost and he could not simply take her to the hospital. He had seen no phones or signs of any sort of high class of technology in that manor since he has arrived. He could not carry her there either; they were just too far out. He could only sit there and mourn the damage done by that woman to the girl he loved. Was it love? Of course, it was his conviction to protect her at any cost. It was his destiny, his lot in life. Without her he would have no meaning.

He found himself admiring her sleeping face. This woman had saved him, and he had been able to save her in return. It was his fate, right? This was his destiny. The young man pulled himself onto the young woman's bed, a familiar place for him. He was soothed by the gnashing sounds and familiar growling of the hanabake and the lone scream of the old witch who had made Ruby suffer. Samhain had gathered many of the smaller ones outside, as they were now under her command and the will of her seed and blood. The fiends surrounded the manor because Samhain understood that they would come soon: her enemies. The ones that sought her masters' deaths would soon come from the place of sky climbing steel and stone. The humans knew that the source of the implausible destruction wrought by monsters, real monsters: the source had to be the Witch's Hill. It had to be the only possible cause. Many found it insane thinking, but the situation has already hit the critical point in which, the insane seemed lucid.

A young man wearing a black shirt and some tan cargo jeans stood amidst the city's destruction. Fires still raged from the use of napalm. He had a pair of radio headphones over his ear. His stringy hair drifted against the winds that only served to feed the growing flames.

"Looks like trouble for us…" The young man sighed and walked off down the street as sirens blared across the smoke-filled city.

Ambulances rushed so save the injured and others cared for the dead. The human population soon discovered they were trapped in their own city. The man-eating plants, though seemingly left, stood outside the city boarders. It was not long until they had to call for outside help. In the mean time the Fairy Tale investigators took charge in accounting for the billions of yen of damage done to their properties.

"Master Kiria." An investigator called as he walked up to the leader of the first division of the company.

Kiria was a young man with bleached blonde hair and curious colored eyes that seemed inhuman. He wore casual dress pants that matched his white dress coat. One hand was deeply pocketed, pushing aside the flap of his pink, pinstriped blouse. The other hand gently cradled the spine of a hardcover book. The young man glanced up through his almost white bangs at the investigator. With a snap, Kiria closed his book and stood straight and pushed his back off the building he supported himself against.

The man allowed his eyes to follow along the ravaged city and considered his folly. He has given those witches a chance to join their company and put their powers to good use. Fairy Tale was an innovative company. They controlled many cooperate businesses around the world but they, as with any powerful company, held their share of insidious secrets, but theirs was unlike the scandalous money embezzling and underhanded cooperate takeover. Fairy Tale was well aware of the existence of youkai that inhabited the natural world. It was their job to associate themselves with as many powerful youkai as possible, buying them off into partnerships and alliances for the betterment of the world and their profits.

The witches of the Ranch had proven themselves to be a difficult bunch. They were just as proud as their human counterparts. As much as witches claimed to be separate from humans, they really did not belong. They were neither human nor youkai, but in Fairy Tale everyone had a place where they could belong because race did not matter: only power, and those witches held a power they wanted.

Generations of magical and medicinal knowledge passed down and perfected. Some of Kiria's higher-ups believed that some of these witch clans have perfected antidotes for diseases that still plague human and youkai races, and can somehow extend their lifespan through their magicks.

"Master Kiria it seems that the entire city has been closed off by the hanabake." The investigator bowed his head, shamed with the ill-news he has brought.

Kiria looked off into the distance where the flames stood their highest. Screams would occasionally sound when someone strayed too close to the border in which the man-eaters have erected.

"They are waiting, but for what, or who?" Kiria mused and looked toward the examiner.

"You." Kiria called, frightening the man.

The investigator looked up nervously to his boss, a curious expression painted on his face.

"What do you know about hanabake?" Kiria asked as he brushed his bangs from his eyes.

The examiner pulled a small digital handbook from his pocket. After a moment or two he pulled up the data he had stored.

"Well sir," He began. "Man eating plants normally inhabit jungles, but there are cases where witch botanists would raise small, potted, meat-eating plants." He paused a moment before continuing.

"Honestly there is little else, but some witches have the ability to manipulate aspects of nature, some even weather. It is possible that the witches made these beasts and are controlling them much in the way insect queens control her nests, through some sort of magically enhanced pheromone." He speculated.

Kiria seemed almost delighted by this information.

"It seems we have underestimated the potential of having the witches at the Ranch." Kiria chuckled knowingly.

"Sir, what about the hanabake? We have no idea if they will invade again and it seems that the military tanks present have been overrun by vines and roots. What if they choose to destr—" He was cut off by the motion of Kiria's hand.

"Humans are not that rash, but they will consider destroying the ranch which is most likely the source of the problem, no matter how it is looked at." Kiria grinned. "Perhaps we should intervene and see how things turn out. Will the humans win or the witches?" He huffed out a breath and nodded to the examiner, sending him away to work.

At this point it was unsure of how the monsters would be dealt with, but it had not taken long for word to spread through mass media. The small town's tragic destruction, as was printed out in several forms of media: It was nature finally fighting back after man had raped Mother Earth.

Indeed many saw this as an omen. Nature had finally raised its hand against man, who continued to destroy it and encroach on its open lands, but man would not be brushed back so easily. Soldiers gathered outside of the city to fight back the monstrous scourge. The decision had come to evacuate as many as they could. Special operatives were dropped into the city by carrier helicopters onto the tops of buildings where they would usher those trapped to the rooftops and evacuate them group by group.

The hanabake horde soon caught wind of this. Their swarming instinct kicked in and they began to scale the steel buildings. Many of the helicopters were brought down by the beasts as the clung to the chopper's landing gear and would climb in, killing all aboard. The city was soon overrun with hanabake as those killed were either eaten or seeded.

The humans were at a loss. They needed to act before the fiends spread out of the city, and maybe soon perhaps all of Japan.


	16. All Hallows’ Eve

**Chapter XVI: All Hallows' Eve**

There were only five hours left until dusk. In the morning perhaps Tsukune would find that this was all just a dream. That is what he wished. In the morning, when he opened his eyes, nothing would hold to the events of the past few days of horror in his life. Yet, here he lay, beside the source of his nightmare. Ruby laid on her left facing him, her cheek buried in her pillow, and he lay on his right, with his right arm folded behind his head. Her shallow breathes are ragged and her cheeks regaining color. He was relieved really. She would not die. Tsukune swallowed as he stared at her sleeping face. Everything about this woman was angelic. Her perfectly pale skin was smooth, and he relished in stroking her cheek tenderly with his free hand.

Ruby's eyes fluttered open, and her mind is roused to the scent of warm sandalwood and the feeling of a gentle caress on her cheek. She eyes snapped open at the recollection of last vivid vision in her eyes.

"Master!" Ruby's voice was sore from screaming and her body burned with the feeling of the healing cuts and gashes along nearly every inch of her more tender flesh.

Tears filled her eyes when she realized it was Tsukune. Her hand rose to grip at his which sat against her cheek. He looked to her with such a loving and understanding smile.

"No…" Tsukune murmured as he pulled Ruby to his body.

The witch sank into the warm embrace that she had found herself dreaming about since the day they parted.

"No more crying." Tsukune whispered into her hair as the witch found her pain soothed away by his mere presence. "I will protect you from now on." He swore.

Tsukune smiled and brushed his hand through her hair. Maybe it was love. Only love would compel you to protect another at the cost of your life, at the cost of your humanity.

"I love you, Ruby-san." Ruby gasped at his words, her lavender eye widening in shock. "I think I loved you since the day I looked into those tear filled eyes of yours." He smiled at the frightening memory.

Ruby felt her heart swell with emotions that she had long since locked away behind her false shield of hatred and despair. Ruby began to tremble, which only made Tsukune hug her more tightly. She was scared. The witch was scared that one day his feelings would fade away and leave her empty and alone.

"Tsukune-san." Ruby cried out as she desperately gripped her fingers against the back of his shirt, fearing that he may simply disappear and she would wake up from this nightmare full of hate and one-sided affections. "I hurt you so much…how could you—?"

The witch's words were cut off when Tsukune pulled his hand under her chin and lifted her head so lilac fixated into coffee. He had a strange look in his eyes, but his smile was gentle, as was his touch. Ruby's voice was caught in her throat and her cheeks flushed when she realized how close his face was and how close her body was to his.

"Ruby-san…" With no other words Tsukune pushed his lips against hers.

Ruby blinked and forced the tears from her eyes as her lips pressed against Tsukune's warm lips. The feeling made her shudder and washed away all the pain. This is what Ruby had longed for. She longed for someone to stay by her side and hold her. She wished for someone to tell her it was alright, and carry her weakness with their strength. She did not deserve this though. All the pain she caused him and the turmoil she wrought against his soul.

She felt herself moan into the kiss when she felt the curse she placed on him so close to her. The spell had allowed her to be able to find him even when he slept. The seal held the faint presence of her youki and ki, being of a border race she had a mixing of the energies that held a constant balance with one another. With that balance came a witch's strength, but if either became too strong the witch would succumb to madness.

With the only thing covering her naked chest being bandages she was hyper aware of Tsukune's torso pressing against her. She could taste the essence that was Tsukune on his lips and could feel as his free hand wrapped around her waist. His strong fingers pressed against her back and sought to pull her closer. His fevered kiss showed the pained witch that he held something for her. He held an obsession, a fear, and a desperation that demanded to be quelled by her reciprocation. He deserved to take her body. She had taken everything from him and turned him an outcast to his confidence and wellbeing. She hurt him and it ripped at her heart. She pulled her lips away from the young man as panting breaths escaped them both. As her lungs seized she looked up to speak to Tsukune only for his face to bury itself against the crook of her neck. He rolled enough to wrap both arms around her tender torso. Ruby gasped when she felt his warm lips pat gentle butterfly kisses along the soft expanse of skin. Her arms automatically wrapped themselves around his head as her fingers threaded through his raven-black hair.

She was filthy: covered in the blood of her victims and forever marked as a sinner, yet he rebuked her soul's need to repent with his affectionate strikes against her skin. Each kiss was like a lash against her spirit. The feeling burned her all the way down to her core and she felt herself being pulled impossibly close to his skin by the will of her need alone. She relished in how his fingers restlessly dug against her back. She felt as her wounds burned against his touches, but when he did harm to her it was a euphoric feeling of pride, especially knowing that he was giving her what she deserved. The tingling sensation of his fingers ran over each cut and scar. Combined with the touch of his lips to her heated flesh the act was enough to make her cry out in a mixture of pain and pleasure. It felt so good this way.

Tsukune kissed down her collar bone and allowed his lips to lightly feather over her chest when she cried out in strangled acceptance. She deserved to be loved and protected the way he could not love or protect the others. It was his shameful attempt to repent for his selfish ways. He would always stand at her side. It did not matter that she was a witch, it did not matter she was the cause of his pain. From now on he would be the only one to make her scream out, to this he swore. The scent of blood was still heavy on her skin, but it was her blood, her scent. He loved Ruby's scent. It was a mix of lavender and soil. He consciously brushed his fingers against the wounds along her shoulder blades: the remnants of her suffering.

The scars were still raw and Ruby cried out against the rough touch, but did not pull away. This was her punishment for hurting him, but it was also her reward for saving him from a horrible death. She felt his tongue brushing against her chest. She wanted to feel him on her skin and wanted him to gaze upon her scarred and abused flesh so he could pick a place to lavish with his reprimand. The witch pulled a hand from his hair and reached down between them to remove the bandages, but no sooner had she reached Tsukune bit down and forced a scream from deep within her lungs.

"Oh Gods Tsukune!" She whimpered loudly as her eyes filled once again with tears and her body fought between the maddening sensations. "Please." She strained her voice to beg, for what she was not sure.

She wanted to feel him, but at the same time she wanted him to discipline her. He bore his teeth down harder, enough to draw a little blood. Ruby shrieked and thrust her core against his, haphazardly searching for a means to impede the potent ache that flared between her legs. He had not intended to hurt her, even though she deserved to be. He allowed his hand to gently caress at the wound he made. He peeled back the bandages that were now dotted with a bit of her blood. When he revealed her bare skin he kissed at the wound in apology, than lapped at it lovingly. He had a faint understanding of what needed to be done. There was a means of punishing her, but at the same time it was an approach that would make a promise to her that he would always be by her side and protect her. It was a binding promise that would serve as their link in this nightmarish Hades that has risen up around them. He felt her hand grip at his right forearm as he reached down and took a fistful of black skirt in his hand.

Ruby looked down when the realization of their level of intimacy had struck her. She was suddenly abashed at her horribly despicable thoughts. Could she tell him? No. Could she tell him that it was something she would imagine him doing? Could she lie to him and say she had never wished for him to tie her down and have his way with her? Though her grip on his arm tightened she had not once tried to still his actions. He did not look to her and ask permission; no he was the master now. He was her protector and he was the one that said how and when. It was up to him whether he took her or not, and even though he did not have to: he still looked up to her eyes to warn her of his next course of action. Ruby did not have the strength of mind to respond, she could only mewl and whimper and grind her hips into his asking what her body wished for, that her words failed to assemble. She stilled as she felt his hand brush against the fabric of her underwear, further eliciting that burning frustration from her insides.

Ruby swallowed nervously. She knew this would be devastating. She would have no time to prepare, but she did not deserve such pleasantries, no not after what she put him through. She loved him and wanted everything of hers to be his. She would not tell him no. She hissed when she felt the pressure of his fingers against her injured back which was now bare and subjected to the pleasurable torture of his kneading motions.

"Tsukune-san…onegai." She begged only to let out a scream when his fingers gripped against her back and his right hand tightened against her thigh which was wrapped around over his hip.

Once again her core thrust forward only for her mind to become drunk on the sensations. She cried out when she felt him slip his hand between their bodies and undid his pants. He was so close to her that she felt each of his motions. Every time he would accidentally brush her she would whimper. He only continued to torture her senses when he pushed his face forward and locked lips with the witch once again. Soon their hips began to grind in heated passion as their rhythm slowly settled. Tsukune pushed his tongue into Ruby's mouth. He brushed the appendage against her teeth and gums in a luring dance. The witch shyly reached her tongue forward to meet his, only to have him pull back. She moaned at the evasive motion and pushed forward, both her body and tongue, to regain the lost contact. And then there it was: Ruby let out a strangled scream when Tsukune took her.

*~~~~~~*

Two hours until dusk: the military has been unable to stop the monsters. The more soldiers they would send at them, the more the fiend's numbers would grow. With each wave the fiends would become stronger and seemingly more intelligent. The city was completely sealed off and quarantined. Nothing would be allowed in or out at this point. Bridges were barricaded and helicopters were sent toward the ranch to drop soldiers off in the fields. They needed to investigate the extent of the outbreak and check its assumed origins. Leaders were given their answer when, one by one, each squad fell into radio silence before disappearing. They resolved to send jet fighters to take out the field and burn it to the ground. The Estimated Time of Arrival for the fighters was set: at the stroke of midnight the fields would be burned to the ground, but did they have that long? The hanabake continued to grow, and there were now reports coming in from several police headquarters that many of the man-eaters have managed to cross into other Prefectures. Were they doomed to take drastic measures or was there a way to kill these monsters that seemed to have an infinite number of their kin at disposal?

*~~~~~~~~*

Dusk now lay an hour away. Tsukune stood staring out of Ruby's bed room window. He watched as the hanabake marched across the property. They looked agitated. Satoru soared around the house and landed on Ruby's windowsill where Tsukune stood. The bird cawed, demanding the young man's attention. Tsukune smiled at the bird and looked down. He stroked his hand against the creature's head.

"He said there is trouble…" Ruby's soft voice called from behind him.

Tsukune heard as she slowly sat herself up, the bed creaking in protest against her shifting weight. The young witch slid off the bed and held her satin sheets to her chest. Her bare feet lightly scratched against the rug that lay on the floor beside her bed. The ebony-haired witch stood by her lover's side and looked up to him with a smile. He smiled back and leaned forward, allowing her to kiss him.

"What do you mean?" Tsukune wondered.

Ruby frowned slightly. He had such a distant look in his eyes, perhaps he was still troubled? The young woman pulled his arm against her chest and relaxed against his warm body. She felt so close to him and so loved by him: he who protected her and saved her when she did not know she needed to be saved or protected.

"The hanabake are agitated. The humans are mad…" She said sadly as she looked to the ground,

Tsukune furrowed his brows and turned to Ruby. He put his hand under her chin and forced her to look him in the eye.

"I told you I would protect you." He said assuredly as he kissed the witch deeply.

Ruby moaned and sunk into his embrace, letting the sheets fall to the ground so her body could press against his warm torso. Tsukune's arms wrapped around Ruby's waist as he leaned in and kissed down the woman's neck. Ruby felt her heart thunder against her chest at the loving contact. Her hands gripped against his hair as she let out a sigh of content.

"Tsukune…" She allowed herself to remove the honorific; after all, they were so close now. "They'll be here soon…they told me." She said as she looked out of the window.

Samhain stood on its hind legs and roared out in warning. The other hanabake burrowed themselves into the sunflower field to hide lest suffer the human's wrath. The crimson-fleshed man-eating plant turned to face her masters.

"She wants to protect us too…" Ruby said in a loving tone as she looked up to Tsukune.

The young man stared at the plant. Even if it had no face it seemed to show emotion. For all of the things he had experienced, this was of no surprise to him. He cupped his right hand against her face and pulled her into another kiss, as if trying to reassure himself. His kisses were a bit rough but they were always desperate to make sure she was still there, with him. It made the witch's heart flutter every time.

*~~~~~~~~*

At the stroke of midnight the fires came. Ruby and Tsukune stood on the beach and looked up to the smoke which carried into the skies. The manor and the sunflower fields were burned to the ground by a barrage of bombs dropped from jet fighters that slingshot across the clouded night skies. Tsukune took the witch's hand into his and they turned heel and walked down the coast. Ruby's long dark, purple skirt brushed away her footsteps, erasing them from existence the evidence of her time there as she walked along side her love. Her black leotard was a bit light for the chilly weather but Tsukune had given her his jacket. It was heavy with his scent and allowed her to ignore the feeling of pain caused by losing the last of her memories. She was happy to finally have someone that would turn to her and let her know there was something more than hatred. He promised he would end the cycle and give Ruby the future she was denied by his kind. Though she appreciated his words, it was enough that he was there with her. Samhain followed the pair closely. With her Tsukune and Ruby would create a new world filled with flowers and happiness. No longer would they let the steel monuments rape what was left of their only home.

"We'll change the world together, and make it a better place for everyone, a place where they meet with punishment for their sins…" Tsukune assured her with a gentle squeeze of her hand.

Ruby smiled to her lover. His words held conviction and love; though the young man was far from the person he was four days ago. When the manor burned down, not only did it wash away Ruby's sins, but they placed a weight upon Tsukune's spirit. He would never allow Ruby to suffer in continuance and would silently carry the burden of murder, envy, hatred and inhumanity forever.

* * *

**To be continued: Perishable Wings: Blood Stained Saint**

* * *

Men are probably nearer the central truth in their superstitions than in their science.

~Henry David Thoreau


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